A Series of One-Shots -Kataang and Zutara-
by AurelieCriss
Summary: These are mostly Kataang one-shots, with more Zutara the further I go. These are mostly based as a continuation of after the war. There will be re-writes and alternate scenes (not too many). I am OPEN TO REQUESTS as I know my imagination can only take me so far. Be warned: these stories get darker as the series progresses.
1. After The War

**So I recently finished the Avatar: The Last Airbender series and oh my gosh it was AMAZING. So of course, while I'm on this avatar high, I'm going to want to write fanfiction because I strongly support Kataang, and there just wasn't enough of it in the series! This is just a series of one-shots, and I'm completely open to suggestions or requests! Anything that has to do with Kataang, and yes, even Zutara, I can work with. Enjoy!**

 _This one takes place immediately after Aang and Katara kiss in the series finale. It just seemed to be that this is exactly what would happen if we had seen an epilogue. Enjoy!_

 _After The War_

Katara didn't want to break the embrace. With the sun warm on her back and Aang in her arms she felt whole, as if all the loose ends had been tied up. She knew of course that this was false, there was still much work to do, but she didn't worry about that now. She loved Aang, and he loved her, and so why couldn't she enjoy a moment of bliss.

Even after they stopped kissing, they clung to each other, just hugging and staring out across the land, where the celebrations were already beginning. Katara rested her head against Aang's smooth one, and just listened to the sound of him breathing. The war was over. Katara didn't have to worry about Aang ever disappearing or being killed by the Firelord.

The two could've stayed there for hours if they hadn't been interrupted. "Oh, uh, oops, sorry," Sokka exclaimed, stopping dead in his tracks. Katara groaned at her brother for ruining the moment, and reluctantly released Aang, who gave her the same annoyed look. She smiled at him softly before, turning to face her brother. She crossed her arms.

"What do you need, Sokka?" she asked. Sokka's face was visibly red, not that he had any reason to be embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head, backing up a bit. "Uh, I was just going to see if you two wanted to come with the rest of us down the city square, but I can tell that you're obviously busy,'' he explained, scowling and backing up into the temple. Katara looked over at Aang, who grinned widely. "We'd love to! I, uh, I mean if that's okay with you, Katara," he said, blushing. While Katara would have preferred some alone time with Aang, she knew that she'd get plenty of that in the future. And she wouldn't mind celebrating a little either.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," she said, taking Aang's hand in hers. Aang blushed again, but entwined his fingers with hers. Sokka smiled. "Good. Well, I'll see you down there then," he said, before twisting around and running back into the temple. Katara looked at Aang, and they both chuckled. "I have a feeling that's going to happen a lot," Aang said. Katara chuckled some more, before kissing Aang lightly once more.


	2. I'll Be The One In White

**This is exactly how I pictured a Kataang wedding, and hopefully it satisfies you guys as well. By the way, I don't really make it clear, but Katara is about twenty-six in this, and Aang is twenty-four. Enjoy!**

 _I'll Be The One In White_

Katara took a deep breath, her veil swaying softly. She was nervous beyond belief, and despite having Toph as her maid of honor. It was a small ceremony, with only Katara and Aang's closest friends. When the invitations went out, many RSVP'd immediately, claiming that was about time. Katara couldn't blame them. It wasn't that they didn't want to get married, it was just that to Aang and Katara, they already felt committed to each other, and having to go through a ceremony just seemed like a waste of time and money.

But everyone had begged, and so finally Aang formally proposed to Katara, and the wedding planning began. And Katara had to admit, it was pretty exciting. She was wearing a beautiful dress handmade by seamstresses from the Southern Water Tribe, and the wedding was influenced by the water and air cultures. It was going to be breathtaking. Katara took another deep breath, smoothed her veiled, and opened the door of the dressing room.

Toph jumped up, her bridesmaid dress wrinkled from having sat on it. It took much persuading and bribing to get Toph into a bridesmaid's dress, with full hair and makeup done. "But Katara, I don't care how I look! I won't be able to see people's expressions!" she had argued. "Yes, but I'll be able to, and I'm the bride. This is my day, Toph," Katara had tried to reason. Toph only agreed to dress up if Katara promised that for Toph's wedding day everyone would dress casually.

"Katara!" Toph exclaimed, jumping up. "You look beautiful," Katara giggled, but then narrowed her eyes. "Hey," she said. Toph chuckled. "I don't need to see to know that you look amazing. I can practically feel the radiance coming off of you," she said. Katara blushed. "Is my father near?" she asked. Toph nodded, taking Katara and guiding her down the hallway. Katara could vaguely hear the sound of running water, and the murmur of voices a few yards away, but Toph led her away from them. Soon, she saw her father, dressed in magnificent Water Tribe robes. He smiled when he saw Katara.

Katara smiled back at him, trying not to cry. "My daughter," he said warmly, hugging her softly. "You look-," Katara finished his sentence. "Beautiful, I know, and I thank you. Is everyone in there?" she asked timidly, her nerves aggravating her. Her father nodded, but looped his arm with Katara's. "Are you ready?" he asked. Katara looked up into her father's eyes, and nodded. Toph took her place in front of them, and the doors opened.

Toph walked a few paces forward, looking very elegant, and very un-Toph-like. Katara couldn't see the alter because of the bright lights, but she knew who was waiting for her. Katara took a deep breath as her father started walking. Surprisingly, Katara's feet did not fail her. She walked quite smoothly into the temple. Immediately she saw the water and air elements in the fountains, and the softly swaying streams of silk. It was an indescribable scene, but it captured the essence of Katara and Aang so perfectly it made Katara's eyes swell up with tears. In the audience, Katara spotted The Dude, Pipsqueak, Gran, Uncle Iroh, and many others who smiled warmly up at her.

On the left side of the alter stood Sokka and Zuko, both looking striking in their groomsmen robes, and to the right side of the alter Katara saw Suki, with Toph joining her, both wearing identical light blue garments. And in the center of the alter stood Aang. His tattoos shone brilliantly with the lighting, and he was wearing a simple yet dashing altered version of his monk robes. He looked strong and mature, but Katara still felt his childhood innocence, and she couldn't help but smiling.

The day was perfect, and in a few short moments she would be connected to Aang in a way that nobody would ever be able to deny.


	3. The Thirteenth Year

**Okay, so I really really really REALLY liked writing this chapter because I just know that Katara would stress herself out over Aang's birthday party, and I know that they would share an intimate moment and gah I just can't take how cute they are! Anyways, hopefully it isn't too sappy for you, but be forewarned, most of these oneshots are all fluff and sappiness and romance and cuteness!**

 _The Thirteenth Year_

"Katara, can you please calm down? Aang is going to love it no matter what happens, because you'll be there," Toph said, plopping down on the ground. Katara groaned, clenching her hands into fists. "But he threw such an amazing birthday party for me, I need to return the favor! Now get your butt up and finish earth-bending the tables, please!" she yelled. Katara thought vaguely that she should stop being so bossy, but she shook away the thoughts. If being bossy is what it took to people to work, then so be it.

"Zuko!" she cried, brandishing her finger at the firebender, who wasn't lighting the torches like Katara had asked. He looked guiltily back at Katara, holding up his hands. "I'm sorry, Katara, I got sidetracked by Mai," he said. Katara narrowed her eyes. Mai was nowhere around, but she didn't feel like looking for her just to scold her. "Aang is going to be back from fishing with Sokka in half an hour and this place still isn't ready! Do you want his birthday to be a disaster? Because at this rate it's going to be, and he hasn't had a birthday party in one hundred and twelve years and he deserves one!" Her voice had rose to a very loud shout, and Katara was pretty sure the townsfolk down below the Fire Temple could hear her.

She glared at Zuko, until he nodded furiously and began lighting the torches. "Was that so hard?" Katara murmured to herself as she went back inside to wrap Aang's present. It had been hard thinking of something to give to him, because it had to be something special. She had thought about another glider, but why would he need two? If she was being honest to herself, Aang would probably be happy with a kiss or a date, but Katara wanted to give him more than that. He already had her heart, so it was going to be difficult to find something worthy of him. Finally, one day, after toying with her mother's necklace, she had an idea.

Making up a lame excuse, she traveled to the Southern Air Temple and gathered broken bits of stone and brick, and had Toph earthbend them into an appropriate necklace. She also inscribed the Airbender's symbol. It was small, and to some people insignificant, but it would give Aang a link to his home.

Katara carefully sealed the necklace with wrapping parchment, and tied with brightly colored string. She scribbled her name on it, and added it to the pile of gifts. When she went outside, the torches were lit, and casting a warm glow across the courtyard. The tables were set up and the caterers were arriving. The guests would be soon and Toph joined Katara on the balcony to admire their handywork.

"I have to say, Katara, this is one fantastic party. Aang is going to be so excited," Toph exclaimed. Katara smiled, and put her arms around Toph and Zuko, having to lean awkwardly to reach both. "I sure hope so. I made sure to invite all of our former allies during the war, plus the entire town. I just hope we have enough food," Katara mused. Zuko chuckled. "Katara, can you please stop worrying? Everything is perfect. Now, if you don't mind, Mai just arrived. I'm going to go meet her," he said, patting Katara on the shoulder before bounding down the stairs to find Mai.

Others starting pouring in, gathering around tables and chatting. Soon enough, Toph silenced everybody. "Aang and Sokka are almost here, so shush everyone!" she cried. Toph went to join the crowd while Katara ran out to the front of the house. Sure enough, Aang and Sokka emerged, sweaty but smiling, with a bag of fish slung over their backs. "Hi, Katara," Aang said, smiling sweetly. He dropped the fish, and gave Katara a hug. "Ugh, you smell like fish," Katara joked, before pulling back and giving Aang a quick kiss. He blushed, and tried to rub off the smell. "I take it you had a successful fishing trip?" Katara asked Sokka. Aang turned to look at Sokka, who nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he replied. He gave Katara a look, prompting Katara to lead Aang into the courtyard. She took his hand, pulling him gently. "Well, it sounds like a good birthday present from Sokka then," she said. Aang smiled. "Yeah, it was really fun," he said. Katara smiled widely, though it was mostly in anticipation for Aang's reaction to the surprise party. Katara swung open the doors to the balcony, and cheers erupted. "Surprise!" Katara said, grinning from ear to ear. Aang, thoroughly in shock, walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down at the crowd. Then he twisted to face Katara. "You planned this just for me?" he asked. Katara nodded. She was glad he was taking it so greatly. She was afraid he'd be embarrassed. Aang just stared at Katara for a beat longer, before lunging himself at her and wrapping his arms around her, kissing her deeply.

Katara, startled, tensed up at first, but relaxed into the kiss. She broke it off before it got awkward and hugged Aang while the crowd cheered. "I love you," Aang whispered in her ear. Katara smiled, blushing, and squeezed Aang tighter. "I love you too. Happy thirteenth birthday," she replied. Finally, the two separated, and made their way down the steps to the courtyard. Toph clapped Aang on the back. "Happy thirteenth, Twinkle Toes, or should I say happy one-hundred-and-thirteenth?" she joked. Aang laughed, and gave her a hug. "This is all so wonderful," he exclaimed, looking around. More people came up to wish him a happy birthday, and soon, the party became lively. People began spinning on the dance floor as the music flared and the food stopped flowing.

Aang turned to face Katara, holding out his hand. Katara smiled, taking it. Aang sailed onto the dance floor quite smoothly. Katara suspected he had used a bit of airbending. Suddenly the two were spinning and twisting, dancing like they had back in the cave in the Fire Nation all those months ago. Katara was blinded with joy, and overwhelmed with happiness. She was in love after all, to a boy who had gone through the unthinkable and still managed to come out on the other whilst standing by his principles and morals. Sometimes Katara has to remind herself that he's only thirteen, because he can act so much older.

Later on, after all the guests had left, and it was just the gang, Katara decided to give Aang his gift. "Can we talk?" Katara asked quietly. Aang looked up at her, a mixture of worry and happiness on his face. He nodded, standing up and following Katara to the balcony where they had shared their first kiss since the war had ended. Katara rested her hands on the railing, and locked eyes with Aang. She didn't really know what to say, so instead, she held out the small parcel that contained the necklace.

Aang stared at it a moment, before looking back up at Katara. "You didn't need to get me anything. Having you around is enough for me," he said sweetly. Katara felt her heart swell up, but she shoved the parcel into Aang's hands anyway. "Oh just take it," she said, smiling. Aang cracked a grin, and slowly undid the wrappings. He held the necklace in his hands, his fingers running across the smooth stone and the inscription. He looked up at Katara, his eyes bright.

"Katara, it's beautiful. I love it," he whispered. Katara smiled, taking the necklace and placing it around Aang's neck. "It's made from the stone at the Southern Air Temple," she explained. As she finished fastening the necklace, Aang caught her hand. He stared up at her again. "I didn't think it was possible for me to love you more, but now I think it is. Thank you so much, Katara," he said. Katara's whole being filled with such emotion she wanted to cry and laugh all at the same time. Instead, she just pulled Aang into a crushing hug, holding him against her as if he would disappear if she didn't hold him tightly enough.

Aang returned the hug just as strongly, and the emotional tension that surrounded them was thick enough to cut like a blade. They were just a couple of teenagers who had been through more than any adult, and the bond that had been created was unbreakable. No matter how young he was, Aang knew with all of his heart that he loved Katara, and would love her forever, and Katara knew that their love would only grow stronger as they got older.

She leaned out of the hug, only to rest her forehead against Aang's. "How am I supposed to beat this for next year?" Aang said. Katara giggled, and rested her hand against Aang's heart. "Just be here with me, and I'll be the happiest girl in the world," she replied. Katara felt Aang's heart speed up, and smiled softly to herself. _Best birthday party ever_ , she thought to herself


	4. A Battle of Four Elements

**Is it just me, or do you guys think that they would totally have battles like this in their free time? All I know is that if I were able to bend elements, I'd constantly be wanting to prove myself superior. :) Hopefully this is a little less fluff. Soon, I'll add some one-shots that address the problems the Gaang faced after the war, but for now, I really like being sappy and fluffy.**

 _Battle of Four Elements **-Takes Place Six Years After The War-**_

"I don't even see how it's a competition. We all know that earth-bending is the best, because I can see with it. Can you taste with waterbending? Can you hear with firebending? No, you can't. So remind me why we're having this silly little competition," Toph complained, crossing her arms. Katara chuckled softly, covering her mouth.

All four of the element benders were in a circle in the middle of a field on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. A stream bubbled happily nearby, ready for Katara. Aang glided softly down to the ground from his glider. "Oh come on, Toph, we're just having fun. Is that a crime?" he asked, winking at Katara. Toph scoffed, digging her feet into the ground. "Of course not. It's just that you're all going to lose," Zuko laughed from across the way.

"We'll see about that, Toph. Uncle has been teaching me some new moves," he said, striking a stance. Katara copied him, readying herself. Toph, realizing there was no way out of the competition whilst also wanting to participate, stood up taller. Aang looked at all of them. "I'm assuming that I'm going to be airbending?" he asked. Toph rolled her eyes. "Well, unless you've knocked up Master Katara over here, then yes Twinkle Toes, you will be, because you're the last airbender," she said. Katara's eyes widened, her stomach falling. Aang's face became beet red as well, and the tension rose sky high.

It was no secret that Aang and Katara had been intimate, but to hear it laid out so plainly was just plain embarrassing. Instead of having to respond to Toph, Katara focused all of her energy on waterbending. She conjured a thick stream of water, twisting it into four separate tentacles, which launched themselves at Toph. Toph obviously sensed this, and threw up a huge circular cone around her, causing the water to disperse and soak all the others. Aang attacked next, rising up in the air, surrounded by a sphere of air.

He shot a huge gust in Toph's direction, shattering her shelter. She wasn't quick enough, the blast shoved her against a nearby tree. She counterattacked by sending a huge boulder Aang's way, which he easily avoided. Katara caught sight of Zuko, who was casually watching Toph and Aang have it out, and she decided to come after him next.

She pulled some water from the stream, and rose it high above her body, and then locked eyes with the unprepared Zuko. She smirked softly, before slamming the water toward him. As he was hit, she twisted it so that it bound itself around Zuko's limbs. She froze the water, pinning Zuko to the ground. She then used more water to propel herself closer to Zuko, but on the way, she saw Aang's air and Toph's rocks colliding toward her, so she redirected her vortex of water to shoot her higher into the air.

The combined force of the air and earth caused the water to fail Katara, and she fell freely towards the earth. She saw out Aang out of the corner of her eye falter in his fight against Toph, but Katara knew how to save herself. With the speed and agility of any Master waterbender, Katara formed a giant wave of water which caught her mid-fall, and slowly sailed her to the ground. Once her feet hit the grass, she faced Zuko head on.

He smiled slightly at her from the ground where he was trapped, and Katara saw her restraints melting away. Soon, Zuko was on his feet, and shooting streams of fire at her. She deflected them with water, and the two slowly began rotating in a circle. It was like an elaborate dance, each of their feet moving with the other. They each respected each other's skills, and they understood their elements. It was a beautiful scene, really, water against fire. Neither one strong enough to destroy the other.  
Katara noticed only slightly that Toph and Aang had stopped fighting, to watch Zuko and her dance. With every move Katara made, Zuko had a counter. They were perfect opponents. Eventually, Toph stepped in.

"Alright, alright, we get it. Neither of you can win. Can we just stop this nonsense?" she said, stepping firmly between Katara and Zuko, breaking their concentration. Katara smiled at Zuko over Toph's shoulder. "Same results as always, Sifu Zuko," she said, bowing. Zuko chuckled. "Same to you, Sifu Katara," he bowed back. The four began walking back to town, but before they made it far, Katara shot out her arm in front of Toph, effectively stopping her.

"Hey! What was that for?" she exclaimed, rubbing her chest. Katara bent down to her level. "I think you know, Toph," she whispered. Toph swallowed, stepping back a few paces. Katara continued. "If I ever hear you talking about what Aang and I do when nobody's around, I will prove to you that waterbending is the superior element, do you understand?" she said, her voice formidable. Even Zuko looked intimidated. Toph nodded quickly, and Katara stepped back.

"Good," she said, before walking away. The other three watched as she went, lingering behind. Zuko patted Aang's shoulder. "She's a keeper, that's for sure," he said. Aang blushed, feeling embarrassed, but mostly proud. He and Zuko followed Katara back to town. Toph threw up her hands. "Are we not going to decide on a winner? That was just a huge waste of time!" she cried, before groaning and stomping after Aang and Zuko.


	5. If Zutara Had Happened After The War

**Okay, so I'm not a huge supporter of Zutara, but I know a lot of people are, so hopefully this will expand my viewing audience. It probably won't be as good as my Kataang one-shots, but that's mostly because they're canon, and Zutara is not. Please let me know what you think and please submit requests, as I'm running short on ideas.**

 _If Zutara Had Happened After The War_

 _-Author's Note- Okay, so this would_ _ **completely disregard any Kataang throughout the Avatar series,**_ _and only focus on what would happen had Katara and Zuko gotten together after the war. Just pretend that Aang never had feelings for Katara, or that if he did, he never expressed them. K thanks bye!_

It's only been two weeks since Aang defeated Firelord Ozai, and the celebrations were still going on. Every night there were fireworks, and chants, and dances. The festivities had yet to become boring, and so almost every night, the Gaang would go out and have fun. And every night, Katara and Zuko would wind up dancing together or drinking together, or just finding a hidden area and talking.

Katara had always felt something more than friendship with Zuko ever since he had switched sides and earned her trust. He had a troubled past, but the mere fact that he was able to choose good showed true bravery to Katara, and that was something that she valued in any human being. Ignoring Zuko's physical attributes, which were impressive if Katara had to be honest with herself, Zuko's personality once you got to know him was intricate, and laced with humor, albeit dry and dark. But Katara liked it.

And she knew that Zuko had feelings for her too. He was different around her. He was calmer, more casual, and his smiles came more naturally. He had opened up to her so much in the past few weeks, divulged so much of his past into her, Katara couldn't help but feel special.

Neither of them had ever acted on their feelings, but it was obvious that they weren't friends. Toph had begun to pick up on it, and Sokka and Aang would soon follow. And so, one night while the group was out celebrating, and Katara and Zuko were off on their own, Katara decided to make a move.

"Zuko," she said suddenly, interrupting a story about Zuko's mother. Zuko stopped speaking, locking eyes with Katara. He had gotten that she had seemed distracted the entire night, and this only confirmed his suspicions. "Yeah?" he asked quietly. He wanted badly to reach out and take her hand, but he didn't. He was too afraid. After Mai, he wasn't sure he was the best and reading other people's emotions. Katara's eyes looked downward, and Zuko saw her face grow darker.

"I just need to say something, okay? Be aware that this isn't easy for me to say," she said softly. Zuko was confused. He had no idea what Katara was going to say. He thought for sure that there was something going on between them, and he had been mustering up the courage to say something, but now Katara was speaking and he was too late. He braced himself for disappointment.

Katara took a deep breath, before lifting her head and staring directly at Zuko. "I like you. A lot. And I think you like me too, but not in a friendly way. In a romantic way. I understand if I'm wrong, but I'm so tired of all the unspoken words between us, and not to mention the tension is just plain irritating," she said. As she spoke, her face grew darker with embarrassment, and out of nervousness, she began to ramble. "I now realize that I was probably wrong the whole time, and just making things up because I liked the attention, but I just needed to tell you how I felt to clear the air, and I hope we can still be friends, because you're the only one I feel truly comfortable around, and," Katara trailed off, painfully looking at Zuko, her face full of embarrassment.

Zuko didn't quite know how to respond. Katara was right, he felt exactly the same way. As the silence dragged on, Katara's face kept turning darker shades of red, and she sank further into her chair. Zuko suddenly realized that not responding probably wasn't the best choice. "Uh," he said, sitting up straighter. Katara winced, as if anticipating rejection. Zuko swallowed. "Yeah, there is something going on between us. I feel it too," he said, feeling stupid. Katara looked at him, eyes wide, jaw dropped. "You like me?" she asked, as if she couldn't believe. Zuko blushed, having never laid out his feelings this plainly. He stood up, crossing over to Katara. She stood up to meet him, looking up at him, as he was a bit taller.

Zuko smiled, brushing a lock of Katara's hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, I, er, like you,'' he said. And then they stood there, not knowing what to do. Zuko began to feel awkward, but then Katara spoke. "I think we should kiss now," she prompted, placing her hand on Zuko's chin, and directing his face towards hers. Zuko's heart dropped into his stomach as Katara stood on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against Zuko's. It was nothing like kissing Mai, it was sweet and tender, and full of emotion. Zuko kissed back, wrapping his arms around Katara.

To anyone watching, seeing a Firebender and a Waterbender together, and showing affection, was unheard of, and Zuko understood it. He never once thought he would wind up with his natural enemy, let alone the Waterbender who had teamed up with the Avatar and who he himself had tried to capture. But that was in the past and this was now, so Zuko shook those thoughts away and focused on what was happening right then.

Because goodness knows it's better than what he's been through.


	6. When Illness Strikes

**So I based this off of one time when I was sick, and the one thing that really stood out to me was how I could not get my mind to calm down. I was constantly thinking and rethinking certain things, and it drove me crazy. I felt as if I were in a dream, but I couldn't tell myself that it was a dream. It was exhausting, especially on top of the fact that I was** ** _actually sick._** **Anyways, I'm not here for your sympathy, I'm here to write for you guys, so enjoy!**

When Illness Strikes

Katara was not sick. She couldn't be. She didn't get sick. In fact, she was supposed to be the one to heal people, whether their injuries be physical or not. She could not be sick. But as another violent shudder racked her body and her skin became prickly with goosebumps, she knew that she was sick. She felt clammy, and weak. Even her waterbending wasn't as good as it usually was.

She lifted a hand to her forehead, and groaned when she felt how hot it was. She rolled over onto her side, trying to breath evenly, but failing. Her mind was racing, her heartbeat was sped up, and she couldn't focus on anything in particular. She pulled herself up, using the nightstand to assist her. She wiped off her sweaty hands, before becoming fully erect. Her legs shook a bit as she walked towards the little garden outside of the air temple. The Gaang was on a small, mini-vacation here, on one of the few weekends that Aang didn't have Avatar duties to attend to. And of course, Katara had to get sick. And it wasn't any normal sickness. This was debilitating sickness, the kind that required lots of medication and plenty of rest. And it made sense. Katara had been sick twice in her life, neither as bad as this, so she supposed it was her body making up for how healthy she was.

It was late at night when she awoke with a start, feeling woozy and just plain awful, and she didn't want to wake up the others. She finally made it to the balcony, where the breeze helped cool her off a bit. She leaned against the railing for support, and tried to just relax her muscles and calm her mind, but it wasn't working. She unsuccessfully tried to bend some water from the fountains below, and after that didn't work she sighed softly before sinking onto the ground and resting her hot forehead against the cool stone of the air temple.

Before she knew it, it was daybreak, and she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and strained to move her head. Her eyes locked with Aang's, and she saw her reflection in them. Her face was pale, sweaty, and her eyes had dark shadows under them, from a restless slumber. "Katara, are you okay?" Aang asked, worry seeping into his voice. Katara sighed, trying to find words, but her mind was racing so quickly and so many thoughts were running through her head, that she only managed one word.

"Hot," she said. And it was true, she was hot, with her fever and the sun beating on her back. Aang was noticeably confused, as he stepped back to look at Katara fully. Katara couldn't lift her head to look at Aang again, because the way she was sitting was in fact very comfortable, if it weren't for the scorching heat. "Katara, I'm confused," Aang said, holding his hands out as if that would make Katara feel better. Katara sighed, lifting her eyes only. "I'm hot," she breathed, before dropping her eyes and staring at Aang's feet again.

Aang gasped. "Oh, I can fix that no problem!" he cried, and then sent a gust of wind towards Katara. While it did cool Katara down, it cooled her down too much, and now she was cold, and not to mention, her hair was in her face. "How was that?" Aang asked, sitting across from Katara. Katara smiled internally. Aang could be so clueless sometimes.

"Now I'm cold," she whispered, a shiver coursing through her. Aang's grin faltered. "What?" he said, looking very confused. Katara groaned, not wanting to have to explain everything. Thankfully, at that moment, Toph joined them.

"Oh my goodness, Twinkle Toes, can't you tell she's sick?" she pointed out. "What?!" Aang cried, jumping up before gliding softly back down to the ground. "How can you tell?" Toph scoffed, leaning down and placing her hand against Katara's forehead. Her hand was cool and Katara leaned against it. "Well, for one, she's burning up. And secondly she's complaining of being hot and cold at the same time, and she's leaning against the balcony refusing to move. And not that you would know this, but her heart is racing," Toph explained, putting her arms underneath Katara's. "Now, can you please help me lift her? We need to get her inside and give her some water,"

Aang jumped up again, and pushed Toph out of the way, scooping Katara up in his own arms. "No, let me do it," he said, walking past Toph, who scowled but followed the airbender anyways. Aang gently laid Katara back on her bed, and then fluttered his hands over Katara's body, unsure of what to do next. Toph chuckled softly while grabbing the water pitcher. "Wow, Aang, have you never treated someone who was sick?" she asked. Aang narrowed his eyes, and crossed his arms. "Of course I have," he said defiantly. "And it was Katara. She and Sokka were sick so I had to go find frozen toads for them to suck on," Toph stared at Aang, unblinking, before bursting out laughing.

Aang glared at her, but then realized that that didn't necessarily mean he could treat everyday illnesses like what Katara had. "Just give her whatever she asks for, okay? I'll be the doctor," Toph said, still chuckling to herself as she helped Katara drink some water. Aang looked down at Katara, and smoothed her hair back behind her ears. "She's going to okay, won't she?" he asked, serious. Toph looked towards him, her veiled eyes meeting his grey ones.

"Yeah, but we may need to go find a real doctor," she assured. Aang nodded, before going back to stare at Katara. He'd stay by her side until she was able to care for herself again. Besides, after all the times that Katara had healed Aang, it was about time that they switched roles.


	7. Like I'm Going To Lose You

**So, this is kind of a songfic, kind of not, but I was listening to the song "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor, and it just inspired me to write, so I did. There may be a few more almost-songfics, because music is what inspires me most, so just be forewarned. Anyhow, enjoy!**

 _Like I'm Gonna Lose You_

Katara had to be dreaming. It was too beautiful to be real life. Everything was in silver and gold, and it was calm and serene, and she was with Aang. She couldn't say exactly where she was, just that it was a place that everyone wanted to be, and where nothing went wrong, and nothing hurt. She was dancing with Aang, twirling and spinning, and there so much laughter and happiness, like a scene from a movie.

And then the scene shifted, fading and refocusing. Aang and Katara were walking next to a stream, with the moon shining bright above them. Aang was smiling at Katara, their hands entwined. Everything was perfect. It was the perfect dream. Aang stopped walking and turned to face Katara. He lifted his hands to caress her face, and Katara felt her eyes slide shut. But then, suddenly, Aang's hands melted from her face. She opened her eyes quickly with confusion, and saw that Aang had disappeared. She was standing alone next to the stream, without her love. She became suddenly aware of how cold it was outside. She swiveled around, trying to find Aang, but only finding darkness. With a lurch of horror, Katara felt herself jerk awake.

Her cheeks were tear-stained, as if her brain had known the dream was too good to be true, before her subconscious had. She was breathing heavily, her heart racing. She pressed her hand to her chest, as if that would somehow calm her down. Not knowing what else to do, Katara tiptoed down the hallway to where she knew Aang was sleeping soundly.

She opened the door, and hesitated before stepping into the room. Aang was so peaceful in slumber, and Katara knew that he needed his rest, but her heart would not stop racing, and she needed to talk to him. And so she quietly glided over next to Aang, bending down on her knees. She gently placed her hand on Aang's shoulder, and gave him a little shake. "Aang?" she whispered. It didn't take much. Aang awoke with a slight gasp, and sat up almost immediately. Katara felt bad, but she needed to stop the worry that was coursing through her veins.

"Katara?" Aang responded, rubbing his eyes. Katara sighed a sigh of relief at hearing Aang's voice. He was here, he hadn't disappeared like in her dream. "I'm sorry to wake you," Katara whispered. Aang blinked at her, before scooting over and patting the space next to him. Katara climbed willingly into bed with Aang, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. "Wow, Katara, you're trembling," he remarked. Katara closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "I just had a bad dream, and it made me realize something," she said, opening her eyes and locking them with Aang's, which were only centimeters from her face. "It made me realize that we're not promised tomorrow," Aang's face contorted into one of confusion, to which Katara continued speaking, entwining her fingers with Aang's free hand. "It's just, I feel that I take you for granted a lot, especially since the war ended, but you still have so many enemies out there that could take you away from me, and it makes me so scared," Katara willed herself not to cry in front of Aang, but she could feel the tears working up.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm going to love you, as if I'm going to lose you. With all of my heart and soul, I want to make you feel like you're worth the world to me, every second of every day. I'm going to love you as if I'll never be able to love you again, no matter where we're standing or what we're going through, and I'll never take you for granted ever, because we never know if we'll run out of time," Katara finished, feeling as if she had taken all of her pent up emotions and laid them out in front of Aang.  
Aang didn't respond for a moment, before putting his finger under Katara's chin, and lifting her face to meet her gaze. "In the blink of an eye, like a whisper of smoke, I could lose everything, Katara," he said slowly, seriously. "I could lose you just as easily as you could lose me. The truth is, we'll never know. But I want you to know that I understand your worry, and your pain, and I want to help you," Aang rested his forehead against Katara's.

"And so I'm going to kiss you longer, any chance that I get. And you're right about time not being infinite, it's not, and so I'll make the most of the minutes, and I'll love you forever, with no regrets, do you understand me?" Aang pulled away slightly to lock eyes with Katara, whose eyes were brimming with tears. Aang ran his thumb beneath her eyes, wiping away her tears. He pressed Katara to his chest, hugging her, holding her close. He took a deep, shaky breath.

"But let's take our time saying what we want, because what we've got is enough for me. And I completely agree with you, we are not promised tomorrow. But to that, I say the same thing you said to me: I'm going to love you like I'm going to lose you. And every time I hold you, I'll hold you like I'm saying goodbye, because we truly never will know when we'll run out of time. But any amount of time spent with you Katara, short or long, is time that I won't ever forget," Aang said, the words flowing from his mouth so smoothly, so comforting.

Katara sniffled a bit, and leaned out of Aang's chest. She tried to read his emotions, but all she saw was her feelings reflected in him. She cupped his face. "I'm going to love you like I'm going to lose you," she whispered. Aang stroked Katara's cheek, breathing in the cool, night air. "I'm going to love you like I'm going to lose you," he repeated, before leaning in and pressing his lips to Katara's.

 _Lyrics to Like I'm Gonna Lose You by Meghan Trainor_

 _I found myself dreaming_  
 _In silver and gold_  
 _Like a scene from a movie_  
 _That every broken heart knows_

 _We were walking on moonlight_  
 _And you pulled me close_  
 _Split second and you disappeared_  
 _And then I was all alone_

 _I woke up in tears_  
 _With you by my side_  
 _A breath of relief_  
 _And I realized_  
 _No, we're not promised tomorrow_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _And I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye_  
 _Wherever we're standing_  
 _I won't take you for granted_  
 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _In the blink of an eye_  
 _Just a whisper of smoke_  
 _You could lose everything_  
 _The truth is you never know_

 _So I'll kiss you longer baby_  
 _Any chance that I get_  
 _I'll make the most of the minutes_  
 _And love with no regrets_

 _Let's take our time to say what we want_  
 _Here's what we got before it's all gone_  
 _'Cause no, we're not promised tomorrow_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye_  
 _Wherever we're standing_  
 _I won't take you for granted_  
 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye_  
 _Wherever we're standing_  
 _I won't take you for granted_  
 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_  
 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_


	8. Young and Beautiful

Young And Beautiful

It's been four years since the end of the war, and the world was a peaceful place, a wonderful place. While there were many tribulations and obstacles that the Gaang had to overcome, those were long since resolved, and the five members of the original Gaang-Toph, Sokka, Zuko, Katara, and Aang-finally had time to have fun and just be teenagers.  
Katara was especially excited for all of the free time she would get to spend with Aang, but something was worrying her in the back of her mind. Aang was growing into a very handsome young man, and as he grew, so did the amount of admiring girls that followed him constantly. While Katara knew deep down that she had Aang's heart, she couldn't help but worry that one day Aang would suddenly become disinterested in Katara, and move on to someone prettier and younger than him.

She never told Aang this, thinking herself silly and paranoid, but as time went by, Katara's worries intensified. She hit a breaking point when she received hate mail from some of Aang's fans. On the surface, Katara did well hiding her emotions, and she never told Aang about the hate mail, but she could Aang slowly slipping away. And so one night, the night before the Winter Solstice, she confronted her feelings and went to speak with Aang.

Aang was where he usually was, in the garden in the back of the house he shared with Katara, meditating. Katara hated to interrupt Aang when he was meditating, because she knew he was communicating with the spirits, and she hated even more that she was doing it for her own selfish reasons, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to get this off of her chest.

She gently laid her hand on Aang's shoulder, effectively pulling him from his meditation. When he saw that it was Katara, he wasn't angry. He smiled at her, and placed his hand on top of hers. "Hey," he said, as Katara settled down next to him in the soft grass. Katara tried really hard to keep her face smooth, but somehow, Aang saw through it. His eyebrows scrunched up, and he turned to face Katara completely. He stroked her cheek softly, trying to get her to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Katara sighed, and looked past Aang, at the slowly waning moon. She felt the spirit of Princess Yue, and it made her feel slightly better. "It's nothing serious," Katara said, avoiding Aang's eyes. Aang waited silently, for Katara to continue. Katara busied herself by softly bending the water in the pond next to them. "It's just that, I've seen the world, and I've done it all, with you by my side. And it's been a wonderful adventure, but I've had my cake now, and I miss those hot summer nights," Katara looked at Aang. "You know, those crazy nights, when you and I would just have fun, back when we were children," She took a deep breath, she was getting to the root of her confession.

Suddenly, she stood up, walking away, her back to Aang. She was so frustrated with herself for feeling so selfish, and she wanted badly to just run away, but she was too late. Aang got up too, racing after her, and reaching for her, but Katara flinched away, not wanting to feel his touch. She didn't deserve any comfort right now.

"Katara, just talk to me," Aang pleaded. Katara groaned. She didn't want to make Aang unhappy, and yet that's exactly what she was doing. She rubbed her temples as she thought of what to say. "I feel so selfish for even saying this, but, I'm afraid that I'm going to lose you," she confessed, staring out across the water, not willing to look at Aang. She continued before Aang could speak. She needed him to understand where she was coming from.

"You've grown into a very, uh, attractive man Aang, and I'm not the only one that's noticed. Every day you're surrounded by a bunch of girls, who are younger than I am, and prettier, and I can't help it: I get jealous," she said, feeling extremely juvenile. She felt her face heating up from embarrassment, and would've preferred to bury herself six feet under than face Aang, but she couldn't resist when Aang turned her around. He looked absolutely tortured, which is not what Katara wanted, but she couldn't do anything about it.

"What are you trying to say, Katara?" Aang asked, his voice low. Katara tried to break off eye contact, but Aang had a way with her that prevented her from looking away. And so, she just told him the truth. "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" she blurted out, feeling completely stupid. Aang blinked a moment, before bursting out into laughter, all pain erased from his face. He let go of Katara, holding his side as he was overcome with laughter.

Katara, who was glad for the light-heartedness, did not, however, think it was funny. It was a serious question that deserved a serious answer. And so she crossed her arms and tapped her foot until Aang stopped laughing. When he did, he tried to explain himself. "Katara, that is a ridiculous question to ask. I don't love you because you're young or beautiful, which you of course are, but the reasons I love you are so much more intimate than that," he said, taking Katara's face in his hands. Katara narrowed her eyes.

"But will you still love me even when all I have left is my aching soul?" she asked, feeling desperate. Aang smiled down at her, pulling her closer. "I've seen the world too, I've lit it up as my stage," he said, resting Katara's head against his chest, the two in an intimate embrace. Katara listened to the sound of Aang's voice, and the steady beating of his heart. "But I miss those hot summer days too, when we would just rock and roll, and you would stand by me no matter what, but I'm also thankful for those days," he said quietly, running his fingers through Katara's hair.

Katara began to feel wholly childish, ashamed of herself for letting her personal feelings get in the way of her and Aang's relationship. Aang continued speaking. "Because it was during those days that I got to know not only your pretty face, but your electric soul," Katara laughed lightly at that, wrapping her arms around Aang's torso, resting her face on his shoulder. "I always know that you will love me, even when I'm no longer young and beautiful, but I just had to ask. It's so hard sometimes, being here with you and all of your fans. They just make me feel so inadequate sometimes," Katara whispered. Aang held her tighter, running his hand along the length of her back, over and over.

"You don't ever need to worry about that, Katara, you know that," he assured. Katara sighed, closing her eyes. "Yeah, I do," she said. She reluctantly leaned away from Aang, only to press her lips to his. She loved him with all of her heart, and she knew that she had been crazy to worry. As she left Aang to return to meditating, she smiled softly to herself. She was so grateful for everything in her life, but she felt she needed to give thanks to someone for all of her good fortune.

And so she went out to the front garden, and sat like Aang did when he meditated. She wasn't entirely sure if the spirits would be able to hear her, but she was going to try anyway. She didn't know if she was sitting quite right, but she ended up settling for criss-crossed legs before she grew frustrated. Feeling very awkward, she closed her eyes, and spoke to the sky.

"Dear spirits," she began, feeling very silly. "When I pass over, please let me bring my man with me. When he comes, tell me that you'll let him in," The more Katara spoke, the more she felt in tune with the spirits, and the more she began to even feel a presence with her. "Spirits, I just want to acknowledge my sincere gratitude, and my enormous thanks for introducing me to Aang, and for letting me fall in love with him. He's my sun, and he makes me shine like a million diamonds, and I don't know what I'll ever do without him, so I'm just asking-no, praying-that when my time comes, I won't leave him all alone. I hope that isn't too selfish, or asking too much, but, like I said before, I don't think either of us could stand to be without the other," Katara took a deep breath, feeling like she had reached her time limit. "Anyways, thank you for listening to me, and, er, I guess I'll talk to you later," she said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She opened her eyes, and stood up, glancing once more at the moon, before going inside. Little did she know that not only were the spirits listening to her, but Aang was also. Hidden in the shadows of the house, he smiled to himself, and looked up at the sky. The moon shone down on him, washing him with soft, white light. "You're absolutely right, Yue," he whispered to nobody in particular. "I am a very lucky man,"


	9. Should've Been Us -Zutara-

**Alright, here's a little more Zutara for those of you who ship them! And to respond to whoever said that Zutara would've ruined the series: I wholeheartedly agree, but I also know that there are a lot of people who like Katara and Zuko together, and I must satisfy their wishes too. :)**

 _Should've Been Us -Zutara-_

Katara really didn't want to be here. Though she knew that the chances of running into him were slim, just the thought of being in the same space as him made her want to disappear. She was attending the annual celebration festival in Ba Sing Se, and while she was looking forward to seeing all of her old friends, she wasn't looking forward to possibly running into him.

Who 'he' was was something that not even Sokka knew. Katara had kept her love life secret from everyone, ever since her and Aang mutually dissolved their relationship. According to Sokka, Katara had been flying solo for the past six months since she stopped dating Aang. But that was a lie. Katara had been seeing something, if only for a short while, but she cut off when she felt her feelings intensify, only because she felt like she was betraying the group, and Aang. She hadn't seen seen Aang or her former lover in four months, and now she was going to have to slap a grin on her face and act completely happy.

It was going to be a rough evening.

As Katara walked around downtown Ba Sing Se, she kept her head down, her eyes trained on the ground, so that in the off-chance that she did run into 'him', maybe she wouldn't notice that it was him. It was hard though, because she was dressed in bright water-tribe colored clothes that stood out against the green and browns of the Earth kingdom. The crowd was thick with partygoers, and there were plenty of people to talk to, or to interact with, but Katara's mind was preoccupied with other thoughts. As much as she wanted to not want to see 'him', a larger, unashamed half was almost trying to find him.

Katara thought it was wildly unfair that she was thinking about him, because he probably wasn't thinking about her. After all, their fling had been so short, she doubted he had time to truly develop feelings about her. Still, she would constantly think through a scenario in which they had stayed together, and become an official couple. Part of her wished that it had happened, while the other part struggled to stay true to her roots.

But like as not, Katara found herself wondering where 'he' was. If she found him in the crowd, then perhaps it could be different. Maybe they just missed it, and that's it. Stop obsessing, Katara thought to herelf, clenching her hands together. As she moved through the crowd, she tried to focus on something other than her forgotten love.

But, as luck would have it, as she scanned the crowd searching for her brother, or anyone she recognized, she found him. Standing only a few meters away, with his hair messy and covering his eyes, was Zuko. He looked striking in his Fire Nations clothes, and he seemed to be surrounded by admirers, and Fire Nation soldiers. Katara knew she needed to look away, because it wouldn't take long for Zuko to pick her out of the crowd. She cursed herself for dressing so obviously, and made to turn around when Zuko looked up, and locked eyes with Katara. Katara, unable to move, stared back, her heart speeding up.

She began to feel that same familiar stirring deep down, a stirring that made her want to break through the crowd and lunge at Zuko, just to feel his touch. As these thoughts swirled around in Katara's confused head, Zuko stopped talking to his admirers, and pushed away from his guards. Katara watched, feeling a mixture of excitement and horror. She did and she didn't want to see him. Her emotions were so conflicted it was physically exhausting.

But before she knew it, Zuko was standing right in front her. She could feel the blush spreading across her face, and she didn't know what to say. "Katara," Zuko said, his eyes pained. Katara swallowed, and tried to break eye contact. She stepped backward a bit, before turning around and running away. She was mortified at herself for trying to run away from the confrontation, but she didn't know what else to do. She heard Zuko running after her, and she knew that she couldn't outrun him, so instead she zig-zagged through the crowd until she found herself an abandoned back alleyway. She skidded to a stop, trying to catch her breath. She heard Zuko stop too, and she heard his heavy breathing.

"Why did you run?" Zuko asked, leaning against the wall. Katara didn't want to turn around, because she knew that if she did, the sight of Zuko would be too much. She grabbed a hunk of her hair in frustration. "Because you make me so angry," she groaned. Zuko hesitated. "What?" he said, clearly confused. Katara sighed, balling her hands into fists. "I'm always thinking about you, and what could've been, and it makes me angry that I spend so much time pining over you!" she explained, finally turning around.

Zuko was staring at her, trying it seemed to figure out what Katara meant. Katara groaned, running her hands down her face. "It should've been us, okay?! From the start, we should've been a fire, a perfect storm! We could've been the perfect thing, and now we'll never know! And yeah, we were crazy, but we understood each other like nobody else ever could! We could've been amazing," she cried, putting into words all of her emotions and feelings towards Zuko.

Katara didn't say anymore, she just tried to slow her breathing and calm down, but it was impossible. Zuko was staring at her as he if didn't know who she was anymore. Katara felt her face begin to heat up, but she wasn't going to shrink into a ball or run away or anything. She was going to stand by what she said, even if it drove Zuko away forever.

Finally, after a long, tense silence, Zuko spoke. "I've been so conflicted when it comes to you, Katara. It's back and forth like a tug of war, and what for? I feel like I've still got, I don't know, a flame for you, even though when we were together you drove me mad, the way you wanted us to be kept secret, and the way you were always worrying about what others thought of us. But now," Zuko locked eyes with Katara, and she saw her pain reflected in his eyes.

"Now, when I'm with Mai, I close my eyes, and I pretend it's you, and I wonder where you are in that moment," he finished. Katara couldn't believe it. Zuko had been feeling the same way as Katara. She couldn't resist him anymore, she couldn't deny herself happiness. Zuko was here with her, right now. And so Katara closed the distance between her and Zuko, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in close. Zuko hugged her back, tightly. "It should've been us," he whispered. Katara pulled away from him, and looked him in the eyes.

She stroked his cheek, and ran her fingers over his scar, light as air. "We could be the perfect storm," she whispered back. "Fire and water, together," Zuko smiled a bit, resting his forehead against Katara's. "You don't know how badly I've needed this," he murmured. Katara placed her hand on Zuko's heart. "We need each other," she replied softly, and then leaned her face upward, and kissed Zuko. Zuko kissed Katara back, and all the old feelings came back, and even though they had missed their opportunity six months ago, they were here now, together, and it didn't matter anymore.

When water and fire collide, beautiful things happen.


	10. Those Who Never Truly Leave Us

**So, this is a rewrite of the final scene in the last episode of Avatar, and I warn you, it is a bit difficult to read. I just wanted to see how the characters would react if something this devastating happened to them, and this was the result. It was very hard for me to write.**

 _Those Who Never Truly Leave Us_

"Your left, Katara! Your left!" Zuko cried as loud as he could, but it was too late. Katara didn't turn in time. In horror, Zuko watched as his ally was struck by Azula. Katara fell from the wave she was riding, clutching her side as she crumpled into a heap on the ground, unable to fight. Enraged, Zuko tore his eyes away from Katara, and focused all of his energy and his anger towards his sister.

He mustered all of the power he could in his two hands, and lunged at Azula. In a blast of white light that shocked even Zuko, Azula was overpowered. She could not bend the lightning away, it grabbed her wrists and her ankles with electrifying tendrils that drained all of her power from within her body. Zuko watched with tear-stricken eyes as his sister fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

Zuko wanted to run to Katara, wanted to help her, but he had to secure Azula. After hastily chaining Azula to some drain cages, he rushed over to Katara, fearing the worst. He hoped beyond hope that Aang had already defeated his father, because he didn't think he could bear having to break such awful news on top of Aang's failure if Katara didn't make it.

Zuko sighed a small sigh of relief when he saw Katara's chest was moving, but it was only temporary. He noticed quickly that her breaths were quick and shallow. Her hands were stained red as she clutched her side. There wasn't any blood, which Zuko thought was a good thing, but he slowly realized that it was only because the lightning had burned the arteries and veins that were now exposed to the outside.

Zuko leaned down next to Katara, and carefully turned her around, taking his face in her hands. "Katara, it's going to be okay," he said, though he felt that he was talking mostly to himself. He wasn't a healer, he had no idea how to even begin to help Katara. As his hands fluttered around Katara uselessly, he heard Katara speak, her voice low and full of pain.

"There's nothing you can do," she breathed, her body tensing and relaxing sporadically. Zuko shook his head, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He could not let Katara die. "There has to be something," he said, running his hands through his hair, his eyes wide like a maniac. Katara shook her head ever so, and removed a bloodied hand from her wound to stop Zuko from moving his hands. At her touch, Zuko fell still and silent, tears flowing silently from his eyes.

Katara's eyes brimmed with tears as well, as if she knew what was happening. It was all too much for Zuko, he couldn't handle the situation, he wanted to scream. "Zuko, look at me," Katara said, her breathing becoming choppier and quicker. She didn't have much time left. "This is not your fault," she said, her eyes locking with Zuko's. Zuko listened, hanging on to every word and willing them to memory. Katara was crying freely now, her voice breaking.

"I want you to do something for me, okay?" she said. Zuko was crying uncontrollably, trying to keep his face smooth, but failing. It scrunched into an expression of such extreme sadness that it would make anyone break down if they saw it. Zuko held on tightly to Katara's hand, leaning in closer. "I want you to tell my family that I love them," Katara instructed, her voice becoming airy. "I also want you to tell," Katara took a deep breath, causing Zuko to panic and pull Katara into his arms.

Katara's head rested on his lap as she took another deep breath, and struggled to look at Zuko, her tears leaving stains down her cheeks. "Tell Aang that I love him, that I've always loved him, and that we could've had the perfect life together, but I also don't want him to stop living, just because I had to go," she said, her eyes gaining a faraway glaze. Zuko swallowed, holding Katara closer, trying to just keep her comfortable in her final moments. She was so young, so pure, why did she have to die? It should've been him, Zuko, the one who had made so many mistakes and had yet to truly come to terms with them. Not Katara, beautiful, wise, innocent Katara.

"But," Katara said, her voice becoming softer and softer. Zuko knew the moment was near. "What Katara?" he whispered, locking eyes with her. Katara swallowed, and a long silence followed, in which Zuko was afraid that she would never get to utter her final words. But Katara managed, her grip on Zuko's hand tightening again.

"Do not let this destroy you, or anyone. I will never rest peacefully if I know that you and everyone else are unwilling to heal, unwilling to move on. I will not die in vain, do you hear me?" Katara's face became so serious, and Zuko knew he had to abide by her final wishes. Katara relaxed a bit in Zuko's arms, her eyes sliding shut. And then, inexplicably, her eyes shot open again, and she uttered one, quiet sob. "I'm going to be with my mother," she cried, her voice thick with tears.

And then it happened. Katara tensed up one final time, and then completely relaxed, her hand falling away from Zuko's and her body slumping against him. Her eyes held on for a moment longer, but as Zuko looked into them, he saw the small flicker of life leave her eyes, and she was gone.

He sat there, still, for what seemed like forever, but then lifted his head and screamed a scream full of agony and sadness. He sobbed freely now, breaking down completely, holding Katara against his chest. If this was how he was reacting, he didn't think he could stand telling Aang. But he had to. He had to deliver Katara's final wishes. He had to.

And so he scooped up Katara in his arms, sliding her eyes shut, and covering the ugly wound with his own cloak. He forced himself to stop crying, and with a stoic face, he walked to the rendezvous point, where somehow he knew the rest of the gang would be waiting for him.

As he come upon the beach, he saw Toph, Sokka, and Aang celebrating, dancing around a fire. Zuko didn't feel an ounce of happiness at the news of the defeat of his father. How could he, when he held the corpse of the one person who truly cared for him? He felt the tears begin to gather behind his eyes again, but he had to make himself be strong. He already had his moment of grief, he had to let the others have theirs as well.

Toph noticed Zuko first, exclaiming excitedly that he had arrived. Zuko sucked in a breath, and prepared himself. As Toph, Sokka, and Aang ran up to him, he stopped walking. The closer they got, the more their grins faded away, to replaced with expressions of horror. "Zuko?" Sokka asked, his voice breaking. Zuko could only stare at him as he held Katara, tears escaping his eyes. Sokka's face scrunched into one of pure agony, as he asked again. "Zuko?" he said, his voice full of pain. "What's going on?" Aang asked, a bit behind.

As he stepped in front of Sokka, and laid eyes on Katara's body, his expression melted into one of of such pain and sadness it broke Zuko's heart. Aang fell in front of Katara, his arms limp. He looked up at Zuko, his face streaked with tears, and Zuko could see the grief in Aang's eyes, and behind it, the anger. "How?" he said, as Sokka leaned down next to him. "Azula struck her," Zuko said simply. Aang nodded, mostly to himself, as he looked back down at Katara.

Toph had walked away the moment she realized what had happened, and Zuko suspected that the distant rumbling was Toph's method of mourning. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sokka cried out, waving his hands up at the sky, before falling on top of Katara, weeping heavily. Aang didn't seem to be reacting at all, and Zuko was about to ask him if he needed anything, when Aang's eyes suddenly slid shut, and his tattoos lit up.

Zuko knew what was happening, and he had to pull Sokka off of Katara's body, despite Sokka's weak struggles to remain next to his sister. Just as Zuko managed to get Sokka out of the way, Aang reopened his eyes. They were bright white, glowing just like his tattoos. Zuko didn't think that Aang could control the Avatar State, and so he tried to also move Katara's body out of the way, but the moment he reached for her, Aang sent a huge gust of wind, following by a sheet of bedrock Zuko's way, effectively keeping him away from Katara. Aang didn't say anything, he only hovered above Katara, as if protecting her. Zuko could barely see that Aang was screaming inside his vortex, his hands clenched into fists, the agony pouring out of him.

Zuko knew the only way to get him to calm down was to tell him what Katara had said before she had passed. And so he wiped his eyes, tensed his muscles, and walked into the vortex. The moment he entered the sphere of air, all other sounds ceased to exist except for Aang's agonizing screams. Zuko had never heard such a truly torturing expression of pain before, and he knew that Aang was experiencing his worst nightmare in this moment. Aang didn't seem to notice or hear Zuko, so Zuko reached for him.  
As his hand locked around Aang's wrist, Aang's face jerked to face Zuko, and he made to attack, but Zuko stopped him. "She wouldn't want this!" he screamed. Aang faltered, staring at Zuko. And then, quite as suddenly as it happened, Aang returned to his normal state. He fell against Zuko, sobbing. Zuko hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him, but feeling inadequate. He let Aang sob some more before pulling him away and holding him at arms' length, Zuko's hands on Aang's shoulders. "Listen to me," he said, and he turned to look over at Sokka, who had been reduced to a ball, his head in his hands.

"Sokka, you need to hear this," Zuko said, walking over to Sokka, and pulling him up. When both he and Aang were focused on him, albeit only partway, Zuko relayed Katara's message. "Katara did not want to die in vain," he said, his voice shaking. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Toph appeared too, her face stained with tears, but otherwise silent. She stood, expressionless, in between Aang and Sokka, and took each of their hands, squeezing them. Zuko continued on.

"She wanted you, Toph and Sokka, to know that she loves you, and she wants all of you to know that she does not want this to destroy you. She told me that she could not, would not be able to move on peacefully, if she knew that you guys were not allowing yourselves to heal, or move on, do you understand me?" Zuko locked eyes with each person individually. When he was satisfied that they understood and accepted to abide by Katara's last wish, he let them go off on their own, to mourn and handle the situation on their own terms. But he asked Aang to stay behind.

"She asked me to tell you one other thing, Aang," Zuko said, a lump forming in his throat. This was going to be the hardest thing to say. Aang looked at him, and somehow the distant, distracted look on his face was worse than the expression of pure agony. "Aang, focus on me," Zuko said, turning Aang to face him head on. Aang locked eyes with Zuko, but Zuko still felt as if he wasn't connecting with Aang. Perhaps his words would help pull him back to reality.

"She wanted you to know that she loves you, she always has," Zuko said slowly. Aang's eyes flickered a bit, and Zuko continued on. "And she wanted you to know that you two could've had the perfect life, but she does not want you to stop living because she had to go," Zuko looked deeper into Aang's eyes, trying to find some sort of response. As the words left him, Aang's eyes returned to their normal, if not pained, look. Zuko searched for some sort of signal that Aang understood Katara's words.

"Do you understand what she was trying to say?" Zuko pressed. Aang looked at him, nodding his head. "Yes," he said, his voice full of finality. And with that, he stepped away from Zuko, and walked over to Katara, leaning down and caressing her face, before picking her up himself and carrying her to the ocean. Sokka and Toph raced after him. "What're you doing, Aang?" Sokka cried, reaching for his sister. Aang let Sokka hold her, but he did not let him take her away. "This is what she would've wanted, Sokka," he said softly. Zuko watched from a distance, letting the original four have their moment of release.

In a beautiful send off, Aang waded into the water, until he was about waist-deep, and laid Katara on top of the waves, unraveling Zuko's cloak and throwing it onto the sand. Aang then undid Katara's hair, letting it flow freely in the element that was a part of her soul. He then leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, before stepping back and lifting his hands. In two fluid motions, a huge waved scooped up Katara's body, and pulled her out into the ocean, to become one with the ocean spirit. It was the perfect way to honor Katara, and Zuko knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

While Sokka and Toph walked back to the camp, leaning on each other for support, Aang stayed standing in the water, just looking out across the vastness. Zuko hesitated, before joining him. He followed Aang's eyes and gazed out at the horizon, letting his emotions consume him once more. But he was out of tears for the moment. And so he just let the grief course through him, filling his whole body. "She fought so hard for this moment, for this victory, and now, she's gone. She'll never experience our success together, she'll never be with us again," Aang said, his voice flat. Zuko turned to face him, shaking his head.

He placed his hand against Aang's heart, and felt it beating, quite quickly. "Uncle once told me that those we love never truly leave us," he said softly. "They stay with us, and they live through our actions and our sacrifices. If you truly love someone, then they will always be with you, no matter what," Aang's eyes shined with tears as he listened intently to Zuko. But Zuko had nothing else to say, and so instead he pulled Aang into a crushing hug, and despite their history, despite their disagreements, they both had Katara in common. They both cared about her deeply, and while Zuko could never fully understand the connection Katara and Aang shared, he knew that it was beyond anything that he had ever experienced, and so he let Aang cry, and he when Sokka and Toph joined in, he let them cry as well.

And under the glow of the moon, Zuko let himself cry again, too.


	11. The Mark of the Airbender

**So, after yesterday's extremely sad, depressing one-shot, I decided to write something happier, but not entirely fluff. If you haven't noticed, my writing always tends to default to something serious, and that's because it's much easier to write something serious than something funny. But that's beside the point. Enjoy! Also,** **I did have to adjust Katara and Aang's age** **a bit in this one, please forgive me. Another thing, I hope I was pretty obvious in implying what has happened before the story, but if for some reason I'm not, feel free to PM me and I'll let you now. :D  
**

 _The Mark Of An Airbender_

This was Katara's favorite time, after her breathing returned to normal, after her heartbeat had slowed, and her and Aang were just laying side by side, their fingers entwined, staring up at the ceiling. They didn't need to speak, they were content just being with each other.

While everything leading up to this moment was by no means boring, Katara enjoyed the silence and the peace. She turned her head a little bit, and stared at Aang, who was looking up at the ceiling, his breathing slow and even. Katara's eyes slid down his body, studying it, appreciating it in ways that was impossible earlier. His chest was muscular, sculpted, shaped from the years of training that Aang had gone through after the war had ended, five years ago. His legs were strong and his tattoos highlighted his calve muscles, and Katara didn't understand why Aang ever needed to fly on his glider with such strong legs.

As Katara's eyes traveled back to Aang's face, she found herself wanting to touch his tattoos. She had never truly touched them, only brushed them on the way to something other body part, and she found herself wanting to quite badly. And so she sat up, abruptly, causing Aang to fall out of his peaceful stupor. He looked at Katara, confused. She stared back down at him, her hair tickling her bare back. "Sorry," she said quietly. Aang sat up slowly, stretching a bit, before tucking a stray lock of Katara's hair behind her ear. "It's okay," he said, staring into her eyes. Katara stared back, and momentarily forgot why she had sat up so suddenly. Aang had a way with doing that, pulling Katara out of reality and into their own, perfect little bubble. She shook her head quickly, and returned to the present.

"I was just wondering if I could, uh, touch your tattoos," she said, feeling rather silly, but not awkward. This was Aang, after all, and there was nobody else she felt more comfortable around. Aang hesitated, before breaking into a smile, and chuckling a bit. "Of course, Katara," he said, and took her hand, place it on his forehead, where his arrow ended. The scar was colder than the rest of Aang's body, and it felt slightly raised. Katara traced the outline of the tattoo, before sliding her hand down across Aang's scalp, and down his back. Aang closed his eyes as Katara rubbed her hands across his back, her fingers light as air, as she felt every inch of the tattoo, running her hands to his waist and back up his back.

Katara rested her hand for a moment on the scar in the middle of Aang's back, a constant reminder that Aang was not invincible, that he was human, that he was mortal. Though it happened almost six years ago, the scar still shown, bright and red, fresh. Katara had tried to make it fade away, but the scar was persistent, unable to be fully healed. In a way, it helped Katara, helped her remember all it took to get to where she was now.

Katara moved on to Aang's arms, turning them over and following the arrows all the way to Aang's hands. Aang's hands were one of her most favorite things about Aang. They were soft, and strong, and fit into hers perfectly. She loved watching his hands when he was bending, the way they moved so effortlessly, so fluidly, it was beautiful. She touched the tattoos on Aang's legs next, and was surprised to see that they weren't raised, it was more like they were a part of Aang's skin, as if he had been born with them. Katara supposed it had to do with the fact that Aang's legs weren't exposed as much as his arms were, and whilst being covered by some sort of garment, they had fused and broken down into Aang's skin, over time. Katara liked it.

When she was finished, she laid back down on the bed, and Aang opened his eyes, gazing down at her. Katara didn't say anything as Aang gazed into her eyes. The two stayed like that for what seemed like forever, and that was okay.

Out of the blue, about fifteen minutes later, Aang spoke. "Have you ever thought about having children?" he asked. The question startled Katara, she was not prepared for it. She knew the answer was 'yes', of course, but the topic had never come up between the two before. She supposed that they were old enough now, seeing as she was already nineteen, and Aang was about to be eighteen years old, but still. She wanted nothing more than to spend her life with Aang, and she knew that children were going to be a part of that, because she knew that it was Aang's responsibility to repopulate the air nomads.

Katara sat up slowly, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. "Of course I have," she answered truthfully. Aang, blushing a bit, looked down at his hands. "Would you ever, er, consider having them with me?" he muttered. Katara smiled at his embarrassment, taking his hands in hers. "Aang, it's not even a question. I don't have any plans on spending my life with anyone else," she said. Aang looked up at her, smiling deeply. Katara's heart swelled with such love for the Avatar at the moment that she lost her train of thought. After a brief hesitation, she remembered what she was going to say.

"However," she said. "Before we can have children, you need to do something for me," Aang tilted his head, leaning in closer to Katara. "I'll do anything for you," he said, his voice full of conviction and love. Katara chuckled, grinning. She reached her hand up to touch his arrow again. "You're going to have to marry me,"


	12. The Sacred Text -Part One-

**This'll probably be about three parts. Kind of similar an idea as that of Ember Island Players. Enjoy!**

 _The Sacred Text -Part One-_

The streets of Ba Sing Se were packed with hundreds of screaming, teenage girls, all of whom were dressed in a fashion similar to that of an air nomad, and each seemed to be clutching a bundle of monetary notes in their hands. Sokka watched from afar, not wanting to get sucked into the madness. He tried to figure out exactly what the girls were freaking out over, and he suspected it had something to do with Aang. Ever since Aang's fifteenth birthday, the Avatar's fanbase had multiplied exponentially.

While the girls would never admit it, Sokka and the others knew that it was because over time, Aang had gotten taller, his muscles more defined, and his face more mature. While it bothered Sokka that the girls never noticed him, he was glad that he wasn't constantly surrounded by adoring, hormonal teenage girls. But Aang wasn't in Ba Sing Se at the time, and the only reason Sokka was here was because he had come to visit Toph, who had opened up her own metal-bending school. He was actually on his way back to the Fire Nation, and he had stumbled upon the sea of screaming girls on his way to the boat that would take him back to the others.

As he stood, perched on the roof of one of the nearby buildings, Sokka saw a man open up the door to what appeared to be a bookstore, and he waved his hands, trying to quite down the girls. While the sound muted a bit, there was still the hum of whispers. Sokka strained his ears trying to hear what the man was saying. "I know that you girls have been waiting all day and night for this moment!" he cried, holding up his hands. The girls giggled, holding onto each other as if they might fall. Sokka had no idea what the big deal was. It wasn't Aang's birthday, it wasn't the anniversary of the end of the war, and there wasn't some big Avatar-in-attendance meeting going on. What was it?

From behind his back, the bookstore owner produced none other than a book. It was jet black, bound with leather, and had the words The Boy In The Iceberg engraved onto it, painted with a shiny silver color. Sokka could barely make out the words beneath the title, but by leaning a bit closer, he was just able to make it out. "A biography of this era's greatest hero, Avatar Aang," Sokka whispered to himself. What the heck? A biography? Of Aang? That's what they were freaking out about? And wait a minute, how come Sokka or any of the others weren't notified that a book on their lives was being written? Well, Aang's life. But Sokka had to admit to himself, Aang spent the more eventful half of his life in the presence of Sokka and Katara, so Sokka knew that he would be in the book.

Despite his confusion, he felt giddy at the fact that his name was in print. The bookkeeper stepped aside, letting the masses flood his tiny store. Each one of them left with a glossy black book in their hands, exclaiming wildly to their friends how excited they were to read it. "It's the sacred text!" One girl cried, holding it close, tears running down her eyes. Sokka groaned, rolling his eyes. He made to step backward and slide down the back of the building, but to Sokka's horror he lost his footing and slid down the front of the building, collapsing in a pile on the ground.

The girls hesitated before Sokka stood up, and then they recognized him. "It's Sokka!" they screamed, running at him. Sokka, eyes wide, ducked beneath the first few sets of hands, and tried to run away, but a few steps later, he tripped over something. As he scurried up, he noticed what he had tripped over. It was a copy of the biography. He hastily scooped it up before turning around and dashing away as fast as he could.

He managed to lose the girls after a few blocks, as they got tired and returned to crying over the book. Sweating, and out of breath, Sokka dragged his feet all the way to the boat. He climbed into it, set a course for the Fire Nation, and passed out, the book laying innocently on the floor.

* * *

"Sokka, what are you smirking about?" Katara asked as Sokka sidled into the living room. Aang and Katara were sitting side-by-side next to the fireplace, and Zuko was playing some sort of card game with Mai, not paying attention to Sokka. Sokka smirked some more, holding tightly to the book behind his back. "What? I'm smirking?" he said, his eyes narrowing. He knew the others believed him to be up to no good, which was typical, but the pages he held behind him were gold, and he couldn't wait to share it with everyone else.

But before he could reveal the book to the gang, Suki snuck up behind him and snatched it from his grasp. "Hey," he said, turning around, scrunching his eyebrows up. Suki smirked at him before examining the book. She ran her fingers over the symbols, reading it aloud. "The Boy In The Iceberg, an biography of this era's greatest hero, Avatar Aang, by Matsuda Lee, a local cabbage merchant," she read. At the mention of Aang's name, Katara and Aang both jumped up, and raced over to Suki, who held the book out of their reach.

"Let me see that!" Aang exclaimed. Suki shook her head, giggling. "No, because you'll just burn it or something," she said. At the word 'burn', Mai dropped her playing cards and looked up, her face half-bored, and half-intrigued. "A book? About Aang?" she asked, abandoning Zuko and standing next to Suki. Suki let her hold the book, probably because she knew Mai wouldn't give it to Aang either. Sokka crossed his arms, pursing his lips. This was supposed to be his moment.

Zuko came up too, clearly interested. Mai looked at the front and back cover, and then opened the book. Everyone, including Aang and Katara, leaned in to try and read. But Mai stepped back, holding the book close so only she could read it.

"'Let's travel one hundred and twelve years into the past'," she read, her voice dull and monotonous. Suki picked up on this and took the book from Mai, who merely stared at her. "If you're going to read it out loud, you can't be that boring about it," Suki said, reopening the book and clearing her throat. She repeated the first line, and then moved onto finish the paragraph.

 _Back to the Southern Air Temple, populated with dozens of Air Nomads of all ages. Families, all master airbenders, or airbenders in training. The culture was alive, flourishing, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But let us focus on one little nomad in particular. Born on the thirteenth day of the sixth month, Aang was no ordinary child. He was destined to be the most powerful being on the entire planet. But little Aang would not find this out until he was twelve years old, but we'll get to that. First, let's begin with Aang's early childhood. We begin in an Air Nomad temple, high up in the skies of the Southern Air Tribe. There, a young Aang met his mentor, Monk Gyatso._

 _-To Be Continued-_


	13. The Sacred Text -Part Two-

**A continuation of the previous one. :D**

 _The Sacred Text -Part Two-_

Before Suki could read anymore, Aang lunged at her, using airbending to propel himself forward extremely quickly, his figure reduced to a blur. Before Suki could figure out what had happened, Aang was hanging on the rafters, holding the book high, out of everyone's reach. "Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, trying to reach for the book. Aang stared down each individual, his face annoyed.

"We can read it, but only if we skip my childhood. I'd rather not relive my cowardice," he said, waiting for a response. Katara agreed almost immediately, and the others followed. Sokka narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. He didn't steal the book to just skip over certain parts. But he knew that if he didn't agree, he wouldn't get to read any of it. "Fine, fine," he said, throwing up his arms in defeat. "Let's skip to where Katara and I come in," he said, plopping down on some cushions as Aang glided down from the ceiling. Suki sat next to Sokka, taking his hand and giving him a small smile.

Aang sat criss-crossed on the floor, with Katara beside him, leaning over to read over his shoulder. Zuko and Mai pulled themselves on top of the railing, resting their backs on the posts. Aang cleared his throat, and began to read.

 _Chapter Three -The Boy In The Iceberg-_

I _t was deep in the middle of the winter, and members of the Southern Water Tribe had long since packed in the fishing boats and built up the fires, trying to stay warm through the harsh winter. But one pair of siblings decided to brave the cold and the severe weather to go exploring. A young, fourteen-year-old Katara, the only waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe, tried desperately to keep a simple ball of water hovering in the air._

"Hey!" exclaimed Katara. "That's a lot harder than it looks!" She looked from face to face, her own growing red with embarrassment. Aang stared at her until she scowled and sat back down. Aang continued.

 _With her, was Katara's older brother, Sokka. Sokka was a non-bender, but he didn't let that dampen his spirits! He was one of the only of-age boys left in the Southern Water Tribe, and he was skilled with his trusty sword, which he carried with him daily, just in case the Fire Nation decided to attack._

"What!" Sokka cried, lunging for the book, but Suki held him back. Everyone stared at him. "I didn't carry around a sword before we met Aang!" He held up his boomerang, and hugged it close to him. "It was my trusty boomerang that I've had with me!" He coddled the boomerang for a moment longer before sitting back down. Aang sighed a bit, and lifted the book back up.

 _Thankfully for Sokka, the Fire Nation would attack soon. "Sokka, look!" Katara exclaimed, focusing hard on her floating water bubble. Sokka, too busy admiring his reflection in the smooth water, ignored Katara. Katara, irritated, felt a spark go off inside of her. Why wasn't her brother paying attention to her? She'll make him pay attention, if she has too._

Aang stopped reading at that moment, looking over at Katara, who blushed and shrunk halfway behind Aang. "Katara," Zuko smirked, jumping down from the railing. "Weren't you a spunky little one?" Katara narrowed her eyes, standing up and crossing her arms. "The author is just trying to make our lives seem more interesting so people won't get bored and stop reading," she defended, looking down to Aang for help.

Aang opened his mouth to speak, but Zuko interrupted him. "Yeah, maybe. Or you secretly have anger issues," But Zuko had crossed the line. Katara, furious, ripped the book out of Aang's hands. He did nothing to retrieve it, opting to sit back and enjoy the show. Sokka's eyes were darting back and forth between the two, all thoughts of the boomerang error erased from his mind.

Katara opened the book, flipping viciously through the pages. "Let's just skip to the part where you're introduced, shall we?" she spat. Aang and Suki sighed, their shoulders slumping. "I wanted to read the part where I come in," Aang complained. "It is my biography, after all," But Katara was paying him no attention. She skimmed the pages until she found the chapter on Zuko.

"Ah ha!" she exclaimed quite crazed, jabbing her finger on the page. Zuko held up his hands, his face mortified. "Katara, please,'' he plead, but Katara wasn't listening. She began to read, vehemently spitting half the words out. "The Son Of The Fire Lord," she said.

 _Overshadowed and outperformed by his older sister, Azula, Zuko was a kindred spirit, a child who was always one step behind. While his mother cared for him and gave him the proper care, his father began to develop a distaste for the heir to the throne. As Zuko grew older, and fell further behind his sister in all aspects of his education and fire-bending, Fire Lord Ozai lost more and more patience. And so, in a culmination of all of Zuko's failures, his father challenged him to a duel, in which Zuko was defeated and henceforth banished from the land, stripped of all honor. The only way that Zuko would be able to regain his honor would be to capture the Avatar. And so, accompanied by his Uncle Iroh, Zuko set out on a three-year-long mission to find and capture the elusive Avatar. Little did he know that over time, his feelings about his home, the Fire Nation, and that of his father, would change._

Katara had calmed down about a quarter of the way through the paragraph, her voice and face becoming softer and gentler the more she read. She realized quickly that Zuko's narrative was not funny or over-exaggerated in any way. As she finished the paragraph, she looked slowly up at Zuko, feeling very foolish indeed. Zuko looked merely crestfallen. He leaned back up against the railing, letting Mai wrap her arm around his shoulders.

Katara swallowed, glancing down at Aang. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I thought it'd be just as messy and full of factual errors like ours were," she said softly. Zuko shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised, honestly," he admitted. "I'm sure the author was able to get his hands on a lot more information on me than he was on you guys," Katara hesitated, before closing the book and walking over to Zuko to give him a small hug. He hugged her back, and when Katara stepped back, she looked at the cover of the book, running her hand over the symbols.

"Maybe we should each just get a turn to read this on our own, where we can be embarrassed in private, and nobody can make fun of us," Katara suggested. Aang jumped up, taking Katara's hand. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," he said, giving her a cute smile. Sokka frowned. "But that takes the fun out of it," he whined. Suki shushed him, pressing her finger to his lips. "Don't worry, Sokka, we can read it together. That way I can laugh at you and you can complain to me," she said, kissing his cheek. Sokka grinned.

Katara scanned the room. "Who wants to read it first?" she asked. Surprisingly, Mai took the book from Katara. Katara looked at her, a bit confused. "What?" Mai said in her raspy voice. "I like to know what people are going to be reading about, especially if it's going to involve me, eventually," Katara couldn't deny her this, so she shrugged her shoulders. "Alright. Enjoy, I guess," she said awkwardly, before looping her arm with Aang's, both of them gliding off to be on their own. Suki guided Sokka away, patting his back as if were a child. When Mai and Zuko were alone, they leaned close to each other. Zuko rubbed his temples a bit.

"Hey," Mai said, catching his hand. Zuko looked at her, his eyes sad. "I'm sorry," he groaned. "I'm being a baby, I know. But it's just going to be hard to read about all of my mistakes," Mai looked at him, opening the book. "Yeah, it will be hard," she said. "But it'll be funny to see how many errors this author makes when it comes to the others," She smiled at Zuko, who chuckled and gave her a small kiss.

"Yeah, I guess so,"


	14. Beneath The Willow Tree

**So, I left this open-ended so that you can decide how it ends! I personally have my own ending, and I'm sure you'll have yours too! Hopefully I left it ambiguous enough for you guys. :) Enjoy!**

 _Beneath The Willow Tree_

Katara slipped quietly outside onto the balcony, where the air was cooler and the atmosphere was lighter. She didn't think anyone saw her leave, she had tried to be discreet, after all. It wasn't that she wasn't glad to be back in Ba Sing Se, it was just that, she wasn't. There was a lot of history tied to Ba Sing Se, and she had actively avoided the cityscape for the past seven months. But how could she refuse an invitation from the Earth King himself?

The answer was she couldn't. And so, despite the strings attached to the city, Katara put on a brave face and traveled from the Northern Water Tribe all the way to Ba Sing Se to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the defeat of the Firelord. She couldn't deny it, she was glad to be able to see Toph and Suki, and her brother Sokka. It was Aang she was worried about.

Katara always considered Aang her one true failure. While she successfully helped him defeat Firelord Ozai, it was afterward that their relationship began to crumble. The first few weeks were beautiful, peaceful, wonderful, blissful, and Katara can't pretend that it wasn't one of the happiest periods of her life, but beneath the happiness there was a tension that never went away. Katara always felt that she was holding Aang back from his duties. When he went away she found herself resenting him for leaving her on her own, and she began to distance herself from him.

It got to a point where she only ever saw Aang once or twice a week, and by then, she didn't even consider him her boyfriend. And so, on the six-month marker, Aang and Katara mutually dissolved their relationship. They had gone their separate ways with the intention of staying in touch, at attempting friendship, but as the weeks turned into months, and neither attempted to make contact, Katara eventually accepted the fact that there was no following their failed relationship.

After that, Katara traveled the world alone, visiting the most isolated villages and spreading the message of peace, and doing her part in healing the world from the ruin brought by the one-hundred-year war. She very strategically maneuvered the countries, making sure not to cross paths with the Avatar. Of course, she heard news of him, and she was happy that he was happy, but a part of her ached for him, longed for his touch, and so she had to bury that feeling deep down and cover it up with her work. She never chased romance again, until she ran into Zuko. But we'll talk about that a little later.

* * *

Katara leaned against the railings, trying to keep her breathing even. She could feel the emotions building up inside of her, the longing, the regret, but mostly the sadness. She hadn't even been in the same room as him, she had just glimpsed a flash of his blue tattoo from across the hallway, and it became too much. She hadn't seen him in two years, how else was she supposed to react? She hadn't ever truly dealt with her feelings after she broke up with Aang, more she buried them away, and distracted herself. But being here now, it cut her fresh again.

She took another deep breath, and looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody noticed her absence. She saw Toph and Sokka dancing together, and she assumed that Aang was in the very center of the huge hord of people crowding the main dance floor. She edged down the balcony a bit more, disappearing into the shadows. She wrapped her shawl around her a bit, cursing herself for wearing such a flimsy dress.

"You cold?" a voice said. Katara jumped about a mile into the air, startled beyond belief. Clutching her racing heart, she turned to see who had scared her so. Halfway hidden in the shadows as well, was Zuko. He was leaning against the wall, his black hair framing his face. He was dressed in formal Fire Nation attire, and his arms were crossed. He was gazing at Katara quite calmly, the glow of the party reflecting off of his eyes, creating sparks. "Zuko," Katara said, her voice heavy. At the mention of his name, she immediately felt her insides recoil, mostly with arousal, but also with guilt. She had run into Zuko time and again, and each time, she spent a few days with him, and then disappeared again, fleeing the precise moment she began to feel something for him.

Their last confrontation was when Katara was visiting the Fire Nation, or more specifically, General Iroh, and that was weeks ago.

Katara suddenly didn't know which was worse: being here with Zuko, or being inside with Aang. She blushed furiously, stepping back a bit. "Uh, it's been a while," she said, her voice shaky. Zuko stepped out of the shadows too, his face illuminated by the light. Katara looked at his face, his perfect face that made her heart swell. But no! She couldn't allow herself to feel this way. Some part of her felt that she was betraying Aang, even though she knew in her heart that Aang was no longer a factor in her life anymore.

"Why do we always keep meeting this way?" Zuko asked, uncrossing his arms and placing them on the railing, on either side of Katara, trapping her. He was doing this on purpose, trying to guilt-trip Katara. And she supposed that she deserved it, because she hadn't exactly been the most courteous towards him. She pursed her lips, looking away from Zuko, despite the fact that his face was inches from hers.

But that was the wrong decision, because the moment she slid her eyes away from Zuko, they landed on Aang's. He was staring directly at her, completely oblivious to the crowd around him. He stood stock still, his whole body facing Katara. Katara's eyes widened exponentially, and she struggled to free herself from Zuko's homemade cage. Seeing as Zuko wasn't trying to restrain Katara, she easily slipped underneath his arms, but she had nowhere to go. The balcony only went so far. And so she sidled the ledge, peering over the edge just to see if she could perhaps jump. She couldn't, it was too high and she didn't have any water to bend.

"Katara, what are you doing?" Zuko asked, confused. He followed her, thinking that he had done something wrong. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be like that, I was sincerely asking a question," he rambled, but Katara wasn't paying attention to him. She was watching Aang with horror as he left the party and was headed straight to the balcony. Katara's heartbeat sped up and her palms became sweaty. This was the worst possible scenario she could be in. Facing both of her exes straight on, unsure of how she felt about either of them. It was a juvenile thing to be so worried over, and Katara knew that when she looked back on this moment she would pretend it didn't happen, but it was happening, and it was happening right now.

"Zuko? Katara? What's going on?" Aang asked, his eyes flitting from Katara to Zuko. Zuko stood up a bit straighter, crossing his arms again. "Nothing, Aang. Katara and I were just having a conversation," he said simply, giving Katara a sideways glance. Katara didn't know who to focus on, so she chose herself. She tired to calm down, tried to slow her breathing. She closed her eyes, and found that it helped. It helped until Aang spoke again, breaking her concentration.

"Katara? Are you alright?" Aang asked, his voice tender and concerned. But Katara didn't get a chance to answer. Zuko answered for her. "Of course she's not alright! She hasn't seen you in two years, ever since you broke up with her!" he cried, brandishing a finger at him. Katara watched, mortified, as her two former lovers began to have it out at each other. Aang stood on his tiptoes, his eyes fiery. "It was a mutual breakup, Zuko, as a matter of fact! And it's not like she coincidentally never crossed my path! She's been avoiding me!" he exclaimed, pressing his face towards Zuko.

As Zuko and Aang continued arguing with each other, Katara groaned, and shoved past the two of them, through the crowd of the party, down the steep stairs of the palace, and into the gardens. She walked until she wound up at a willow. She ducked underneath the hanging vines, and sat down on the soft grass, trying to gather her thoughts. Seeing Aang had brought back so many memories, both painful and joyous. She wanted badly to hug Aang again, to feel his presence, to share in his joy, but she could not forget why they had broken up in the first place. They just simply weren't compatible anymore. And then there was Zuko. Katara had felt things with Zuko that she hadn't even begun to feel with Aang, and the way he made her feel so important, so fiercely independent, she longed for that. How could she choose?

Katara knew, beneath the wisdom of the willow tree, that whoever found her underneath the willow would be the one that she would choose, because only they would be able to comfort her at a moment like this. She honestly did not know who to expect, so she closed her eyes.

* * *

Katara awoke, feeling extremely disoriented. She couldn't have been asleep for long, because it was still dark outside. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and trying to remember where she was. She looked up and around her, and recognized the willow tree. She sighed, running her hand through her hair, and laying back down, staring up at the roof of the tree.

She supposed she would need to get up and moving soon, for she had to leave. Neither Zuko nor Aang had made an appearance, and so Katara assumed that she would just do what she did best. Flee. But just as she was about to stand up, she heard a rustle. Her muscles tensed, ready to draw water from the plants surrounding her, and she scanned the area around her. She heard another rustle, and then the vines of the willow parted, and she dropped her arms. So this was it.

She stood up, her legs a bit weak, and leaned against the tree trunk for support. She stared at him as he stared back at her. The two stood like that for an eternity, until Katara could not take it anymore. She lunged toward him, colliding with him, the two stumbling out from underneath the willow and out into the open. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his scent, sighing at the familiarity. He hugged her back, tightly, pressing his face into her neck.

Katara leaned back, gazing up into his eyes, knowing that this was the right path for her. She hesitated only a second longer, before pressing her lips to his, kissing him passionately. He kissed her back, leaning her back, until they both collapsed onto the ground. Katara chuckled, before rolling onto her back, letting him hover over her. He laughed too, and Katara's doubts were wiped away. She had traveled the world, and returned to the place where it all began. She was home, and she was with the person she was meant to be with.

Stroking his cheek, she pressed her lips to his once more.

* * *

 **So, what did you guys think? I actually had a lot of fun writing this, but I've had so much fun writing all of them. I particularly enjoy one-shots because I don't have to worry about creating a detailed, long storyline, and I can go off on all sorts of tangents. :) On a side note, I want to thank everyone who has read or is reading The Folly of Man! It's been very fun to write as well, but I can only write that story in short, infrequent doses, but that makes each update all the more precious, right? Anyways, thanks for reading this super long outro, and goodbye! :D  
**


	15. Two Lovers

**So this one is pure smut. Sorry but not really. Enjoy!**

 _Two Lovers_

"Shh!" Katara whispered, giggling as Aang kissed her neck, the both of them stumbling down the hallway. She wrapped her arms around Aang, as his lips traveled down her neck. She laughed shrilly, pulling herself up, letting Aang hold her, her legs criss-crossing across Aang's waist. She pressed her finger to her lips again, as Aang blindly reached for the door to the bedroom.

"Aang, we have to be quiet," Katara whisper-yelled again. Aang pulled his mouth away from Katara's neck, and rested his forehead against hers, his breath hot against her skin, the arousal overwhelming. "Katara," Aang whispered seductively, holding her close to him, chest to chest. Katara found it hard to focus, the ball of excitement in her stomach getting bigger and bigger. Aang tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her even closer, somehow. "Just enjoy yourself," he mumbled, before crushing his lips against her, kissing her passionately.

The two lovers broke through the doorway, slamming the door shut behind them. Aang turned around, shoving Katara against the wall, and trailing her with kisses down her neck, between her breasts, and down her stomach. Katara's breathing sped up, her hands rested high above her head, as she tried to focus on everything at once. She pulled Aang's mouth back to hers, and pushed him roughly towards the bed. Aang smiled sexily at Katara who rolled her eyes as she climbed on top of him, peeling off his shirt, and running her hands down his toned chest.

Aang's arms stroked Katara's, as he looked lovingly up at her. Suddenly, Katara slowed. The intensity and the arousal was still very much present, but the urge for speediness was gone. She allowed herself time to truly appreciate Aang, and all of his attributes. She leaned down to kiss Aang again, and his stubble ticked her cheeks. Aang had matured so much in the past few years, and Katara couldn't help but notice. And as they got older, so did the sexual tension.

It was only a few months ago that her and Aang abandoned all restraint, and finally satiated their desires. And why shouldn't they? They were old enough, and they were in love. Nobody could stop them. But Katara had to admit, ever since then, her and Aang had been inseparable, and she didn't blame the others for keeping their distance. They were so hopelessly, so madly in love, and she could understand how it could be sickening to those around them. But again, that didn't stop them.

Katara smiled at Aang again, and returned to feverishly kissing him, pulling him up with her. Just as things were about to get really interesting, the two heard a knock on the door. Groaning with frustration, Katara broke away from Aang, glaring at the doorway. "I know you guys are in there," Toph said. "I can feel you, remember. And now is not the time," Katara blushed furiously, looking to Aang in horror. Aang looked back, equally horrified, and hurriedly pulled back on his robes. Katara brushed her hair out of her eyes, trying to wipe the sweat off of her skin as she stood up, buttoning her dress back up.

She took a deep breath, before opening the door and giving Toph a smile. "Hey Toph," she said, trying to sound innocent but failing miserably. There was no lying to Toph. Toph stood in the doorway, looking up at Katara, her face irritated. She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot. "How often is this going to happen? I'm sick and tired of being your abstinence calendar," she said quite bluntly. Katara blushed again, shrinking against Aang, whose face was beet red as well. He propped himself up against the doorway with one arm, clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry, Toph, I thought we had a few hours before the next meeting," he said, smiling awkwardly, despite the fact that Toph couldn't see him. Toph narrowed her eyes a bit, before turning on her heel and marching away. Katara and Aang watched her go, before looking at one another and sighing. They'd have to finish this a little later.


	16. An Unbroken Bond

**So, I kind of went on a writing binge, so expect multiple chapters tonight. :D**

 _An Unbroken Bond_

He rolled the necklace through his fingers over and over, making sure that every jewel, every stone was just right. It had to be perfect. This wasn't just any betrothal necklace, this was Katara's betrothal necklace, and Aang knew it had to be the best one yet. He had waited so long for this moment, waited for just the right time, and that time was finally here. It was Katara's twentieth birthday, and the gang was reuniting for one evening to celebrate.

Aang hadn't seen half of the gang ever since the balance was restored within all four nations, which culminated a year and a half ago. Since then, he and Katara had traveled the world, visiting various cities and villages, becoming cultured and seasoned. Every now and then, Aang and Katara would run into Zuko, whether it be because he just happened to be in the same place on Firelord duty, or just by chance. The meetings, however, were brief, and far between.

But the couple hadn't laid eyes on Sokka or Toph in months. Sokka had taken off with Suki to go back to Kyoshi island, so that Suki could expand and enhance her skills, and so that Sokka had a chance to develop his swordsmanship. Toph had opened up her own metal-bending school in Ba Sing Se and Aang and Katara had heard rumors that she had a man with her now.

Despite the long distances and the hectic schedules, Aang had made sure that each of his best friends and former allies would attend a small celebration at the Southern Air Temple for Katara. He knew how hard it was for her to be so far away from her family, and he smiled when he pictured her face when she found out.

Aang felt a shift in the wind, and he hastily put the necklace back in its box, and was about to clear his mind to be able to coherently propose to Katara, when she stumbled in, her eyes wide and fearful, and the tendons on her neck standing out violently. Aang's heart plummeted and he immediately reached for her. Katara fell into his arms, sobbing. Aang wrapped his arms around her, and tried to figure out why she was so upset.

"Katara, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice pained. All thoughts of proposals and celebrations were wiped from his mind, his only concern was that of Katara. Katara sucked in a shaky breath, before pulling back and trying to speak clearly. "Sokka," she said, her voice breaking, as a fresh wave of tears rolled down her face. Aang cupped Katara's face in his hands, staring at her intensely. He could feel the dread creeping up the back of his neck.

"What about Sokka?" Aang asked, fearing the absolute worst. Katara clenched her lips together, her eyes narrowing. "He's been in some sort of accident," she managed, before breaking down completely. She collapsed into a heap on the floor, overcome with emotion, burying her head in her hands. Aang fell with her, his hands resting uselessly on her shoulders. He swallowed, before forcing himself to stand back up. He grabbed his glider and returned to Katara, pulling her up gently. She looked up at him, wiping her eyes.

"Are we leaving?" she asked, her voice thick.

Aang nodded, as Katara stood up fully. "Of course we are, Sokka's my brother, too," he said, before wrapping his arm around Katara's waist, the both of them stepping out into the daylight. Katara sniffled, wiping her eyes again, before latching onto Aang. Aang propelled them down to where Appa was resting.

* * *

Katara knelt down as quietly as she could, reaching her hand out and stroking Sokka's cheek, her fingers light as air, her touch gentle. Aang watched from a distance, standing in the entryway to the tent. Sokka was asleep, covered by multiple fur blankets, yet still shivering, even in slumber. Suki was next to him as well, holding his limp hand in hers.  
Katara just stared at her brother, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. She sniffled a bit before looking up at Suki. "What happened?" she asked, her voice breaking. Suki took a deep breath, wiping her eyes. "He was scouting with a few members of the White Lotus, because you know he's been in training with them, and they came upon a group of Fire Nation rebels, and, and," Suki couldn't continue speaking. Instead, she pulled aside the blankets, revealing a large patch of angry red skin, covered with blisters. Katara could feel the heat emanating from it.

She immediately open her water pouch, and bended the water out, letting it cover her hand like a glove. She held the water over the burn, and closed her eyes. The water lit up over the burn, and Katara tried hard to pull the heat out of the wound. It worked a bit, removing some of the damaged tissue. Katara then removed the water, and helped Suki wrap the wound with moist towelettes, a temporary bandaging until Katara could spend more time on the wound herself.

At her touch, Sokka's eyes fluttered open, and he moaned, whether in relief or pain, Katara did not know. "Sokka," Suki said, touching his cheek. Sokka looked at her for a moment, and then looked over at Katara. "Katara," he whispered. She scooted closer to her brother, taking his face in her hands. "Why do you always have to be so brave?" she asked. Sokka smiled softly. "I wasn't being brave, I was being," he paused, smirking a bit. "A White Lotus in training," Katara couldn't help it, she cracked a smile through her tears. Sokka smiled too, and then turned his head, and spotted Aang.

"Aang!" he said, trying to sit up, but wincing, curling in on himself. Suki reached for him, as did Katara, and the two helped sit him up. Aang smiled, walking over and kneeling down next to Sokka. "Hey, Sokka, it's been too long," Sokka looked up at him, peering into his eyes, giving Aang a strange look. Katara and Suki noticed, and they looked up at Aang too. Aang looked back down at Sokka, trying to read the unspoken words behind the strange gaze, but getting nothing. "What is it, Sokka?" Aang asked, trying again to read his expression.

He groaned, sitting up a bit more, his hand clutching his side. He took a deep breath. "Did you ask her yet?" he breathed, collapsing back against Suki, wincing with pain. Aang blushed intensely, swallowing nervously. Now was not the time to propose to Katara, but since Sokka brought it up, Aang knew he had to do it. "Ask who what?" Katara asked, looking back and forth at Sokka and Aang. Aang looked at Sokka, who gave him a small nod, and Aang took a deep breath, standing up and facing Katara. Katara watched, confused, her hand still on Sokka's chest. "Aang, what's going on?" she asked. Aang just looked at her, felt his heart speed up, and he knew that now was the perfect time. He knelt down onto one knee, and watched as it clicked with Katara. Her eyes widened, and she pressed her free hand to her chest, her other one taking Sokka's hand tightly in hers. "Aang," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Katara," Aang said slowly, reaching for the betrothal necklace. He held it out towards Katara, the light glinting off of it. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" He waited as Katara hesitated, before nodding furiously, the tears spilling over onto her cheeks. "Of course," she said through the tears. Aang smiled, joy filling his entire body. He clasped the necklace around Katara's neck, and it lay right beneath the necklace that belonged to Katara's mother. Katara touched it with her fingers, before pulling Aang into a crushing hug, pressing her lips against his.

Aang wrapped his arms around Katara, and kissed her back, as Suki clapped for them. "Congratulations," she said, hugging Katara next as the two broke apart. Aang looked down at Sokka who gave him a thumbs up, smiling weakly. "Congrats, man," he said softly. Aang smiled at him, before leaning down and pulling him into a tight hug. Katara smiled, wiping her tears away. "Okay," she said, regaining her breath. "Let's get you to a real doctor, Sokka," she said. Sokka nodded. "Yeah, that probably wouldn't be too bad an idea," he cracked a smile. Katara laughed gently, before gesturing Aang to come help lift Sokka.

Aang carefully bended some air to help support Sokka, while Suki let Sokka lean on her. Katara bended some more healing water on Sokka's wound, and the three carried him out to Appa, where they laid him softly onto the riding saddle. After making sure Sokka was comfortable, Aang slid onto Appa's neck, taking the reins. He glanced behind him, and saw Katara smiling down at him, her betrothal necklace shining brightly against her dark skin. Aang smiled back at her, and held the reins up. "Yip, yip, buddy," he said, and the four took off into the sky.


	17. Gravity

**Based On The Song By Sara Bareilles**

 _Gravity_

Katara opened her eyes, and darkness greeted her. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and rolling over. She about fell out of the bed when she realized she was nose-to-nose with Zuko. Jerking back, and trying to keep from waking Zuko, she pressed her hand against her bare chest, and groaned silently as the night came back to her. Something always brought her back to him. It never took her too long.

She felt the dread creep up her back, and she felt her face grow hot. Zuko was breathing evenly, deep in sleep, and Katara cursed herself for giving in. _Now matter what I say or do, I still feel you with me, until the moment I'm gone_ , she thought to herself, before quietly slipping out of the bed and pulling on her robes. She hesitated, staring down at Zuko, before turning around and walking out onto the balcony. She could feel the hot tears pricking her eyes as she felt the familiar feeling of guilt and shame. It was such a strange feeling, if Katara was being honest to herself.

The way Zuko held her without really touching her, and the way he had her captured without any chains, Katara felt like she wanted nothing else except to feel Zuko's rain and drown in his love. Except that that's exactly what she _didn't_ want at the same time. She had so many other options open to her, so why did she keep crawling back to the sadistic, soulless Crown Prince to the Fire Nation? Of course, Zuko wasn't completely soulless, he did have his moments, like when he abandoned his home to help the Gaang defeat his father, but that time was long ago.

Katara wrapped her fingers around the railing to the balcony, and stared out across the ocean, the cool breeze somehow making her feel worse. "Set me free," she whispered to the moon. "Leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity," She stared down at her bare feet at that, and she could still see the scars left behind from the tendrils of fire. "Here I am, standing so tall, like I'm supposed to," she reminded herself, trying to stay positive, but it didn't work. Choking back tears, she sucked in a shaky breath and tightened her hold on the railing, as her legs threatened to give in. "But you're on to me," she murmured. "You're all over me," And then she collapsed onto the ground, curling up and weeping silently.

 _You only loved me because I was fragile_ , Katara thought to herself, as the tears intensified. _I thought I was strong, but you touch me for a little while, and all my fragile strength disappears_. Katara sniffled, wiping her eyes and lifting her head to stare at the moon again. She could just run away, track down her brother, maybe even reach out to Aang. Sages knows that that would the healthy choice.

But as Katara looked back at Zuko's sleeping figure, she felt the desire again. And in that moment, she felt a surge of anger, and she stood up again, her hands clenched into fists. "I live here on my knees," she spoke clearly, directing her words to the oblivious Zuko. "I'm trying to make you see, that you're everything I think I need here on the ground," Katara lifted her chin, a feeling of ferocity, of courage sweeping through her.

"But you're not my enemy, but you're also not my friend. I may not be able to let you go, but the one thing that I am sure of, the one thing I truly know, is that you're keeping me down!" she might as well of screamed the last word, and when she did, her fingers flared, and the moisture in the air froze, hanging in suspended droplets around Katara.

But as soon as it came, the feeling of courage disappeared, and Katara's face faltered. Her hands twitched, and the frozen droplets turned back into water, falling onto Katara, misting over her, dampening into her skin. Her face morphed into one of misery as her body became disengaged, and she fell to the ground again, crumpling. The tears came back, and so did the feeling of defeat, and she covered her face with her hands. She peeked through her fingers, and focused on the body underneath the covers.

Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath, and pulled her robes around her tightly, before standing up, using the railing to support her, and walked slowly back into the room, sliding in next to Zuko. He didn't flinch, he just slept on, completely unaware of Katara's outburst. As Katara settled down, and closed her eyes, a few tears escaped.

 _Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long._


	18. When Illness Strikes -Continuation

**This is a continuation of When Illness Strikes, which I believe is chapter six, if you need a refresher. :D Enjoy! Also! I WILL be publishing ALTERNATE UNIVERSE and RE-WRITE oneshots now! I've just had inspiration for them as of late. :) Hope you don't mind!**

 _When Illness Strikes -Continuation-_

"Just lay this towel over her forehead, okay? I'm going to go into town to try and find some sort of doctor," Toph instructed, one foot out of the door. She waited until Aang nodded and placed the towel on Katara's forehead to leave. As the door swung shut behind her, Aang knelt closer to the softly whimpering Katara. "Is it too cold?" Aang asked, feeling completely useless and uneducated. Katara shook her head, swallowing a bit.

Her clammy hand latched onto Aang's wrist. "Remember when you went without sleep right before Day of Black Sun?" she asked, her voice thick with mucus. Aang nodded, entwining his fingers with Katara's. "Yeah, and I had those crazy hallucinations," he prompted. Katara nodded, the ghost of a smile on her lips. She fell back against the pillows, unaware that she had risen slightly. "Yeah, that's how I feel right now," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut.

Aang hesitated, trying to comprehend Katara's words. "Wait," he said, leaning back. "Are you saying that you're seeing Momo and Appa have it out with each other?" Katara chuckled weakly as a shiver ran through her. She clutched tighter at the sheets, and Aang's hands clenched and unclenched, unsure of what to do. "No, but I'm pretty sure it's not raining boomerangs, and I'm also pretty sure you aren't dressed like Ty Lee, but that's what I'm seeing," she explained, and this time, she smiled fully, before wincing and curling further underneath the covers.

Aang jumped up, and pressed his hands to his clothes, just making sure that he was in fact, wearing his own clothes. Katara laughed again, but it quickly turned into a cough, which turned into a gag, and before Aang knew it, Katara was leaning over the bed, retching onto the floor. "Katara!" Aang cried, a split-second from launching himself at her heaving figure. But Katara put up a hand, and the retching stopped. "Stay there, let me clean this up," she murmured, and Aang had to look away for fear that he would also vomit.

"Okay, I'm done," Katara said, and when Aang turned around she rested on the covers again, somehow looking paler and sicker than before. Aang noticed that the towel had fallen off and so he rushed to wet another. When he returned, Katara was vomiting again, and this time she had fallen onto the floor completely. Aang didn't pay any attention to her protests, and ran straight up to her, pulling her hair away from her face, and bending away the vomit as it came. It was gross, disgusting work, but it was a small price to pay to help make your love feel better.

When it was over, Katara slumped against Aang, letting him support her. She looked up into his eyes, and hers shone brightly, even through sickness. "Can you take me down to the ocean?" she asked softly. Aang faltered. "What?" he asked stupidly, tucking a lock of hair behind Katara's ear. He only noticed now the dark circles under her eyes from the two nights of restless sleep. She was sick. Really sick. Toph needed to hurry.

Katara cleared her throat, and exhaled slowly. "I need to be by the ocean," she explained. Aang nodded, standing up and pulling Katara, swinging her slightly so that Aang held her like a baby. "Of course," he said, and he walked out to the balcony. He climbed carefully onto the railing, peered down at the calm ocean, and then jumped. Katara clung to him, but Aang had to hold her tightly, because she had barely any strength.

He bended the air around them seamlessly, and they landed light as feathers onto the sand beneath them. Aang walked the two paces needed to be at the edge of the water, the waves lapping at his feet. "Further," Katara instructed, pointing out towards the horizon. Aang did as she said, and kept going until he was waist-deep, his robes floating around him. "Let go," Katara whispered, barely audible. Aang opened his mouth to protest, but Katara lifted a cold finger to his lips. "Please," she said. Unsure of what exactly was going to happen, Aang leaned down and pressed his lips to Katara's before slowly releasing her to the water.

She drifted away a bit almost immediately, and it took all of Aang's self-control not to reach for her, but he knew that Katara had a plan. When she was about twenty feet away, she suddenly submerged herself. Aang was about to just dive in and come after her, when she rose again, this time encased in a brilliant glowing orb of water. Aang could barely make out her silhouette against the water, but he could see her fingers flaying. She was causing this herself.

She hung in the air as the full moon shone down on her, and then slowly, the orb rotated until Katara was standing erect, her chest thrust forward, her arms spread out, her ankles crossed, almost as if she were being crucified. Her hair swirled in tendrils around her face, and Aang was mesmerized. And then, ever so slightly, the water dissipated, evaporating into the air, and Katara emerged, and she slowly returned to the ground.

The instant her feet touched the water, she collapsed and Aang caught her, stumbling backwards against the water. Aang furiously pushed Katara's soaking wet hair out of her eyes, and tried to find her pulse. Aang dragged her back to the shore, where she flopped lifelessly onto the sand. Aang's vision clouded with tears as he knelt over her, completely clueless as to what to do next.

But, as he was about to venture into the Spirit World to hopefully get some answers, Katara's eyes opened, as did her mouth, which sputtered up water. Aang watched, frozen, as Katara sat up quickly, rubbing the salt out of her eyes. "Katara," he said, staring at her. She coughed once more, before exhaling loudly. "Phew," she said, flinging some seaweed off of her arm. "I should probably work on the conclusion a bit," And then she looked at Aang, and her face was back to its normal color, and the dark circles had disappeared. She smiled at Aang.

"Thanks for listening to me," she said, crawling forward and kissing Aang. He didn't react, just kept staring until Katara explained. Rather sheepishly, she wrung her hands together, sitting back on the sand. "I guess I should've told you. I've been working on an intensive healing mechanism, and uh, that was it," she said, blushing. Aang blinked, before breaking into a grin, and throwing himself at Katara, kissing her again. Katara giggled, kissing Aang back. She kept kissing him, and Aang was surprised at her, usually she was the one who had to cut off the kissing.

But no, this time, she felt almost eager. Had her sickness really wiped her out that much? But, to Aang's unfortunate luck, just as Katara pressed him against the beach hard enough for him to get sand burn, he felt a shift in the wind, and sat up instantly, knocking Katara over in the process. "Hey!" she cried, rubbing her temple. Aang looked over to her, and flushed, reaching out to her. "I'm sorry, Katara," he said truthfully. "It's just that someone is here," Katara let Aang lift her up as the two stood. Katara wobbled a bit, using Aang for support, before regaining her balance.

"Who?" she asked, following Aang's line of sight. Aang figured out who it was before Katara did. Groaning, he slumped his shoulders. Why must Toph always show up when she does? "It's Toph," he complained, dropping his head. Katara put a finger under his chin, lifting his face. His eyes were wide, and he felt foolish, but he couldn't help but a feel a bit, oh, you know. "Next time," Katara whispered, a hint of lust in her voice.

Aang's face flushed at the thought, but he quickly shook the feelings away. Toph appeared on the horizon, and she stopped about fifty feet away from Aang and Katara, and scowled. She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot. "Are you kidding me?" she drawled, her eyes narrowed. Katara laughed nervously, looping her arm through Aang's. "Sorry Toph," she said. "I decided to try out a new healing technique," Toph threw down the bag of what seemed to be medicine.

"No, that's fine, try it out _after_ I walk three _miles_ to town to track down the damn medicine man who happens to be out of town, and then spend another hour asking anyone who would listen what could cure your basic stomach flu. And finally, _finally_ , after I find it and bring it to you, I find out that you just used your magical healing powers instead?" she said, her voice rising in intensity the angrier she got.

Katara held up her hands. "I'm really sorry, Toph, I owe you one!" she said, trying to avoid an outburst. Toph's eyes narrowed even more, and she lifted her chin. "Yeah, you do. Big time," she said, and then she turned on her heel and stomped away. Katara and Aang watched her go. When she had successfully slammed the door behind her, Aang looked over at Katara, and let go a chuckle that he had been holding in.

Katara slapped him softly on the shoulder. "Stop that, Aang. She was being a good friend, I just kind of ignored her," she whispered. Aang shrugged, and grinned. "She'll get over it," he said simply.


	19. The Mark of The Firebender

**There will be a chapter like this for each element, just so you know. So, including this one, only two more to go. They may be right after this one, or spread out, like how Aang's and Zuko's were. Who knows. Enjoy!**

 _The Mark of The Firebender_

As he ran his fingers over the marred flesh, he couldn't help but wonder if the water from the Spirit Oasis would have actually healed him. But then, would he be the same, without the constant reminder of the ruthlessness of his father and the pain of his past? Zuko thought he would, but he would never know for sure, because if he had accepted Katara's offer, the Avatar may have never survived Azula's lightning.

It was a small price to pay in exchange for saving the world's hero. Besides, his scar was his trademark. When people saw him they knew exactly who they were staring at, and most saw it as a sign of bravery. To Zuko, it had become a part of him.

Zuko strode down the hallways of the palace, just trying to get to the ballroom, where the gala was being thrown. He was late, of course, but he knew that that wouldn't stop the festivities. It was a fundraising gala, set up by the Northern Water Tribe, in an effort to raise funds to build an all-elements academy on land claimed by the North Pole. A few of these non-exclusive schools had cropped up in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation in the past ten years since the war ended, and the Northern Water Tribe had wanted to build one to encourage more immigration to their territory.

They were by no means poor, but they had fewer reasons to stock pile money, and seeing as very few people would travel somewhere so distant and cold, Zuko offered wholeheartedly, to host the event. While his official reasoning was that anybody and everybody was welcome to the Fire Nation, he secretly did it for a certain waterbender he'd had his eye on since the moment he first saw her.

He hadn't seen Katara in five years, and they stopped sending each other letters three years ago. He had heard only that she and Aang had married, and that they had a child. It didn't hurt Zuko when he first received the wedding invitation, because he was with Mai and he was Firelord and he was happy, and he wasn't at all surprised. It was only after Mai left him and Katara sent him a painting of her first child, a young son by the name of Bumi, that he felt something sharp poke at him.

He had always had more than friendly feelings for Katara, but he buried them deep, as he knew that the feelings were not mutual. And it was easier, after they went their separate ways, for him to forget about those feelings. But now, Zuko was going to see Katara-and her family-in person for the first time in ten years. He hesitated before entering the ballroom.

 _Stop it. You're her friend. Act like it._ He thought to himself, pressing his lips into a thin line and pushing open the doors.

The ballroom was alive with music and bodies, all swaying to some sort of jazz ensemble to Zuko's right. He had requested that there be no introduction for him, this was the Water Tribe's gala, after all. And so, thankfully, only a few heads turned when he entered. The few heads that did see him bowed low, but he held his hand up, motioning for them to stop bowing.

The guests, most of who were dressed in traditional water tribe clothes, smiled warmly at him as he moved gracefully through the crowd, his eyes searching for one waterbender in particular. It wasn't hard to spot them, all four of them. Wait, _four_?! Zuko stopped dead in his tracks, and stood on his tiptoes to try and make sure he was counting correctly. There was Aang, who was tall and dark and still bald, dressed in his traditional air nomad clothes, and there was Katara, who looked magnificent in a flowing, silky blue dress that pooled at her feet and clung to her sides.

And there was a child running at their feet, a young boy with crazy, dark hair, and bright eyes. That must be Bumi. He was probably four or five. But there was another. A little girl, with bright blue eyes and dark, straight hair. She stood quite stoically at Katara's side, her little hand clutching Katara's, the other one held up to her mouth, which was sucking her thumb. Zuko's eyes bulged as he realized that Katara had had another child since their last correspondence. Had it really been five years?

He punched himself mentally for letting it go that long between letters. The girl was beautiful, just like Katara, and she was the first to notice Zuko staring at her. As she locked eyes with Zuko, they became wide with fear, and she turned instantly and pulled at her mother's hand, who responded immediately, bending down to her level. The girl must've said something, because sure enough, Katara's eyes slid up and landed on Zuko. Her face broke into one of the happiest smiles Zuko had ever seen, and he smiled back, while in reality, his heart was twisting with joy and pain at seeing her smile.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, waving him over. Zuko chuckled, and closed the distance between him and Katara. He accepted Katara's hug, and wished he could've held on longer, but then Aang clapped his hand down on Zuko's shoulder, and Zuko had to let Katara go. "Zuko, it's been too long!" Aang said, giving him a hug. Zuko chuckled, releasing Aang and straightening his Fire Lord pendant. "Yes, it has. And who are these two youngsters?" Zuko asked, using his best paternal voice. He didn't know how good it was.

He bent down at the knees until he was level with Bumi, who had stopped running and stared at Zuko's face. "Go ahead, introduce yourself," Aang said, patting Bumi's back. Bumi's eyes glanced up at his father's, before he gulped and looked back at Zuko, his eyes paying extra attention to Zuko's scar. "Hello, Fire Lord Zuko, my name is Bumi," he bowed low. "It's an honor to meet you," Zuko tsked his tongue, placing his hand on Bumi's shoulder and lifting him up. "You will not bow to me, Bumi. And call me Uncle Zuko," he said, grinning. The words burned his throat as he said them. _Uncle Zuko_ , they repeated themselves in his head.

Bumi cracked a smile, giggled a bit, and then looked up at his mother. "Can I go eat some fire gummies now?" he asked, his lower lip pushed out. Katara looked down at him, rolling her eyes slightly, smiling. Zuko watched her from down on the ground, and he had to force himself not to compliment the way her eyes matched her dress perfectly. "Fine, but not too many, I don't want you getting sick!" she cried, as he ran off towards the tables of food. Zuko chuckled as Katara did, and then he turned to face the little girl.

"Now you, I really haven't ever met before," Zuko said, holding out his hand. Surprisingly, the little girl let go of Katara's hand to place it in Zuko's. Zuko shook it softly, feeling the warmth left over from Katara's hand in his. He needed to get a grip on himself. Katara was married with not one, but two kids with Aang.

"Zuko," Aang said, running his hand on the top of the girls head. "This is Kya," The girl's large, blue eyes blinked, and she stared up at her father. Aang stared back down at her lovingly, the way he used to look at Katara back when they were young. "We named her after Katara's mother," he added as an afterthought, and then looked at Katara, smiling.

Zuko stood up, winking at the child, who giggled a bit, and smiled at Katara and Aang. "I'm so happy for you guys," he said kindly. "Two kids, I can't even imagine one," At those words, Katara blushed a bit, and tried to sneak a glance at Aang, who flushed too. Despite their ages, Zuko still saw remnants of their younger selves, and as he was washed in nostalgia, he swallowed his pain. "Actually," Katara said guiltily. Zuko kept a happy face, but his stomach fell, and an intense feeling of grief spread through him. He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"We're expecting!" Aang said, a bit too joyously, and then he leaned over and kissed Katara full on the lips, and suddenly it was like Zuko couldn't breathe. He hadn't ever seen the Avatar and Katara kiss, not even when they were teenagers, and to see it made Zuko feel as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs, and all the blood had been replaced with lead. "That's amazing, congratulations," he barely choked out, before pretending to have to go speak with other guests, and hastily leaving the happy couple.

He made it to the balcony, ripping off his Fire Lord crown and throwing it on the ground. His fingers wrapped around the railing, his knuckles turned white. He should not be having this sort of reaction to finding out that his two former best friends were expecting a third child together. He should be over-the-moon ecstatic for them, because they were so wonderfully, so undoubtedly in love. Instead, he felt anger and pain at their obvious happiness, so much so that it made him want to rip his hair out.

He had loved Katara, and he had kept that a secret, and now there was nothing he could do about it. Even if Katara did feel the same way, she obviously buried those feelings too, or covered them up with her feelings for Aang, and there was no way she'd abandon her children for a lovesick firebender ex-enemy. And so, in the dimming twilight, Zuko let go of the railing, picked up his crown and put it back on his head, and took a deep breath.

Before he entered, however, he ran his fingers across his scar, and instead of being reminded of his father or his failure, he was reminded of Katara's gentle touch, of her kindness, and he knew that that was as much as he was going to ever get from her. But kindness was better than nothing.

And so, with an aching heart, Zuko reentered the ballroom, and conversed more with Katara and Aang, and buried his feelings for the waterbender deep in his heart, where they would stay for the rest of his life.


	20. When She Fell

**Note: This is NOT easy to read, and it alludes to some VERY MATURE topics. I wrote this because we're learning about rape and the prevention of it at school, and I think it's very important to tell someone if it has happened to you personally. There is no reason whatsoever to be ashamed, and if anybody makes you feel that way, don't listen to them. They are wrong. Nobody deserves to be taken advantage of. Anyways, this was difficult to write, but I hope you can appreciate it for its message either way. I did not, in any way or form, do this to offend anyone, and if I did, I apologize, that was not my intention at all.**

 _When She Fell_

She couldn't even scream. All she could do was cry silently, grasping desperately to the railing that surrounded Toph's house. Her free hand pressed between her legs, trying to staunch the thick dripping of blood down her legs. The pain was blinding, and she had to focus on the smaller, lesser pains to keep herself from passing out. Just looking down at her bloodstained dress made her want to shut down, to escape for a moment, but she couldn't. She needed a healer.

She wasn't even sure how she had escaped him. He certainly didn't let her go, that was for sure. He had _chi blocked_ her, preventing her from bending, and she was utterly at his mercy, and yet, it seemed that she had her own little spurt of adrenaline, her own mini Avatar State, and before she knew it, she was doing some of the best bending of her life, despite the chi blocking, and she had pinned her assaulter to the wall, and she had ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Which was remarkably fast, considering her injuries.

He hadn't exactly been gentle with her.

But the adrenaline was short-lived, and before she knew it, the shock wore off and the full force of her mangled body hit her all at once. It was crippling pain, a pain that Katara couldn't associate with any other sort of pain she had experienced, and how could she?

She needed to get inside, get to Aang or Toph or anybody who could help her. She was losing blood, and fast too. Every step she took became heavier and heavier. A few moment's time, and she would collapse onto the ground, and bleed out slowly, only feet away from help.

She had gone to get fruit. _Fruit_. It was just another trip to the market, another day in Gaoling, and before she knew what had happened, she had been grabbed from behind, chi blocked, and stuffed away, only to be taken to some back end apartment and mutilated. And that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was the power he held over her. She didn't even know who he was, but he was able to take away her bending, her only defense, and in that moment, he controlled her.

Katara reached the door, and her breath was coming in short, frequent gasps, and she saw a little black dot in the corner of her vision that she couldn't stop staring at. She weakly lifted her bloodied hand from her stained fabrics, and pulled on the rope, ringing the bell. She didn't even have the energy to pull the string again, and her hand dropped, laying limply on her thigh.

She slumped against the door, forcing her eyes to stay open, for she knew somehow that if her eyes slid closed, they would not reopen. She instead focused at that strangely attractive black dot in the corner of her vision, and breathed in sync with the _drip drip drip_ of the blood pooling between her legs. What had he done that was making her bleed this badly? It certainly wasn't this bad when she first escaped. She didn't even want to feel down there, because she knew it would just make her want to pass out even more.

Thankfully, at that moment, the door was pulled open, and Katara fell into Zuko's arms. "Oh hey," she murmured, letting him take her full weight. Now that her legs did not have to support her weight, they wouldn't even move. Zuko gasped as his arms wound beneath Katara's armpits, trying to pull her up and get a better grip on her. "Katara! What the. . ." he trailed off as he saw the bloody patch of fabric and the trail of blood dripping down the sides of Katara's legs. Katara couldn't see his face, because the little black dot wasn't so little anymore and looked so nice and peaceful, and maybe if she stared at it long enough, it would consume her and take away the pain. Yeah, maybe she should just stare at it a bit longer.

Katara took one deep breath, and then passed out, her body becoming dead weight in Zuko's arms. Not knowing remotely what to do, Zuko strained his neck as he turned around and screamed for someone to come help him. He disturbed the entire house with his bellows, but else could he do? His best friend's girlfriend was _bleeding_ out in front of him, for some forsaken reason, and _what the hell happened she had gone to get fruit_.

The first person who had heard his calls was none other than Mai. "What the hell is wrong with you," she began to say, but she stopped abruptly when she caught sight of the injured Katara. Her eyes widened, and in a very unlike-Mai fashion, she swooped forward, and took Katara from Zuko's arms, almost pushing him away as she lowered Katara onto the floor. Using her knives, she cut away Katara's clothes. Usually, Zuko would've looked away out of respect, but Katara was _dying_ , so he didn't think she'd mind.

"Grab me something to stop the bleeding!" Mai ordered, her voice lacking it's usual monotony. As she moved further down Katara's body, her eyes became wider and more fearful. Zuko ran to the linen closet a little ways down the hall, and on his way, he ran into Toph. "What were you yelling for? Why are you running?!" she cried, an annoyed look on her face. Zuko gulped, glad that Toph couldn't see the terror in his eyes. She did, however, feel his heartbeat. Her face softened and became worried. "Zuko, what's going on?" she asked, dropping her arms.

Zuko ripped open the cabinet and pulled down a bundle of towels. "Katara's been in some sort of accident," he explained hastily, knowing that that wasn't exactly the truth. She had been attacked. "We're not entirely sure. You just need to keep Aang and Sokka away from her. They'll go crazy and won't let us help Katara if they find out," He didn't stop to make sure Toph understood, and raced past her with a pile of towels in hand.

Toph felt Zuko's footsteps fading and wondered why he was lying. She used her sensory skills to get a feel of what was happening. She recognized Mai's stealthy figure, kneeling down next to someone who was really weak, their heartbeat was so slow, and they weren't moving. Her eyes widened as she realized it was Katara. As badly as she wanted to go make sure her friend was okay, she had to do as Zuko instructed, because she knew that if Aang or Sokka intervened, they would be more of a hindrance than a help.

And so she forced herself to turn around, wipe her eyes, and go back to where Aang and Sokka were. When she arrived in the drawing room, she shut the doors tightly behind her. Aang jumped up almost immediately. "Toph, what's going on? I thought I heard Zuko yelling," he said, his voice shaky. Sokka stood up too, his hands clenched. Toph took a deep breath. It would take all over her power to prevent the Avatar from leaving, but she would have to do it. "I need you to stay in here," she said, setting her feet in a traditional earthbender's stance. Aang noticed, and attempted to step forward. Toph flicked her hand, and a small pillar of earth shot up through the floor, effectively keeping Aang from moving.

She felt both of their heartbeats speed up, and she wanted desperately to tell them what was happening, but she just couldn't. "Toph, what is going on?" Sokka said, enunciating every syllable. Toph swallowed, and willed away her tears. "I wish I could tell you, but I can't risk your reactions," she said softly, and before Aang or Sokka could protest, she lifted both her hands up, and encased the room in stone, preventing anybody from leaving. She focused her energy on Aang, because he was the only one who had a chance at escaping. Sokka, on the other hand, did not.

"What the hell, Toph? Why are you trapping us in a stone cage? And why aren't Zuko or Mai in here, and. . ." But he trailed off at that moment, and Toph's mouth went dry at his realization. She didn't expect Sokka to be this perceptive. Sokka's heart surprised Toph by slowing down exponentially and she worried for a second that he was going to have a heart attack, but he didn't. "Something's wrong with Katara," he said quietly and slowly. When Toph didn't answer, he thought his hypothesis confirmed. Aang's eyes lit up like a thousand fireworks at the news, and Toph's palms became sweaty. She could not keep the Avatar trapped for long.

A loud boom was heard down the hallway, and Zuko assumed it was Toph. She wouldn't be able to keep Aang or Sokka away once they figured out what was happening, and so he turned back quickly to Mai, who was doing her best to stop Katara from bleeding out. She had Zuko pressing a towel against Katara's groin area, and was currently mixing some sort of mixture, using oils and herbs that she had run off to get from the small medicine cabinet in the house.

"Can't you hurry? Once Aang and Sokka get to us, we won't be able to help her," he said. Mai didn't even look up from her work. "I haven't made this in a little while, but it should stop the bleeding. I need her to swallow it though, so we're going to have to wake her up," At those words, she winced. "What?" Zuko asked, replacing the old towel with a fresh one. His heart fell as he noticed how pale Katara had gone. She can't lose much more blood.

Mai finished mixing the drink, and looked up at Zuko. "You're going to have to burn her, to wake up her up again," she said, her voice breaking a bit. Zuko's eyes widened as he shook his head. There was no way he was going to add more injuries to Katara. She was already so close to death, he didn't know if she could handle anymore pain. "No," he said. Mai pulled his hands from the towel roughly. "Do it, or she dies," she said forcefully, her voice full of needles. Zuko could not ignored the fierce look in Mai's eyes, and so he took Katara's tiny hand, cold hand in his, and let a tear escape.

And then he let the smallest amount of heat emanate from his hand, and Katara jerked back away, ripping her hand from his. Her eyes had a strange, faraway look to them, and her head swiveled to look at both Mai and Zuko. Mai caught her chin, and stared at her intensely. "Katara, I need you to swallow this medicine okay? It'll stop your bleeding," she said loudly and slowly. Katara's eyes suddenly became vividly bright, and she nodded, but when she went to open her mouth, her brain seemed to register her injuries again, and she let out a piercing shriek that echoed throughout the whole house.

"KATARA!" Zuko heard Aang scream from down the hallway, and he stood up, ready to keep Aang from Katara if need be.

"Let me out, now," Aang shouted, his tattoos beginning to glow. Sokka was right beside him, his hand on his boomerang. Toph swallowed, and stood her ground. "No," she said, but her voice was soft, insignificant. She knew that if Aang came at her, she would probably just let him go. And that's exactly what happened.

Groaning in frustration and fear, he threw his hands down in fists, and stepped back, closing his eyes. Toph gulped, and stood up straight. When Aang reopened his eyes, his eyes and tattoos were glowing. "Get away from him, Sokka," Toph instructed, gesturing for him to move. He obliged, pressing himself against the opposite wall. Toph felt the power rolling off of Aang and she was not going to fight him. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and she stepped aside, letting Aang escape. He walked forward, shot out his arms and the stone cracked. He bended it to either side, and stepped out into the hallway.

Zuko saw the glow before he saw Aang and his eyes widened. There was no way he would be able to keep Aang away from Katara when he was the Avatar State. Zuko turned to look at Katara and Mai. Mai was still trying to coax the brew down Katara's throat, and she wasn't trying to make it difficult, but every time she opened her mouth, another ear-splitting scream filled the air.

"I can't stop him," Zuko said, and he pressed himself against the wall as Aang came barreling down the hallway, looking extremely frightening and powerful. Zuko never could get used to seeing Aang in his most powerful state. Mai looked up at him, but didn't try and stop him either. "Only one more option, then," she mused, and then Zuko saw the glint of her knives.

It was at this moment that Zuko learned that one did not have to be a bender to be capable of extraordinary things. In a flash of movement that Zuko could not fully see, Mai's knives had caught onto the fabric around Aang's wrist, and flung him backward against the wall. At the same time, Mai forced her fingers down Katara's throat, held her mouth open, and poured the antidote. It was rough, it probably didn't feel good, but it worked, and the instant the medicine hit Katara's stomach, her screams stopped.

The knife didn't keep Aang at bay for more than second, and soon, he was kneeling over Katara, glaring at Mai with his glowing eyes. "What did you do to her?!" he asked, his voice echoed a thousand times over with all the past avatars. Mai looked not at him, but at Katara, at her crotch, to see if the bleeding stopped. It must have been a fast-working antidote, because even Zuko could see that the towel wasn't soaking up any blood anymore.

Mai's eyes slid back up to meet Aang's. "I saved her life," she said, and then she looked at Zuko. Zuko looked back at her, and then down at Aang, who was still glowing with rage. He walked forward, and hesitantly put his hand on Aang's shoulder. Aang's head jerked up and Zuko had to blink away the blinding light. "Aang, she's okay, we were only trying to help her, and we did, it's all going to be okay," he said. Aang stared at him a moment longer, and then dropped his head.

A few moments later, his tattoos stopped glowing, and he slumped against Katara, pulling her close. His shoulders shook as he cried over her, but Mai gave Zuko a look, and Zuko knew that she was going to be okay. They silently walked into the other room, just as Toph and Sokka bounded in.

Zuko looked behind him, and watched as Sokka dropped next to his sister, and cradled her in his arms, along with Aang. Toph collapsed at her feet, hunching over and burying her face in her hands. Zuko slid shut the door.

A few days later, Katara awoke in a soft bed, with a feathery pillow. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed was a slight burn on her wrist. And then she felt the dull pain between her legs, and when she felt down there, her whole groin was wrapped in sterile bandages, and a strange, icy sensation covered the whole wound.

In a flash, the memories of what had happened returned to her, and she looked around frantically, trying to make sure she wasn't captured again, that she wasn't going to be tortured, and she sighed a huge sigh of relief when her eyes landed on a sleeping Aang. He was slumped against the back of the chair, his chin against his chest, snoring slightly.

She smiled a bit, and tried to sit up, but it hurt her back when she did, so she made to clear her throat, but when she tried to speak, she noticed how dry her mouth was, and proceeded to cough violently, her throat raw and her stomach muscles sore. This woke up Aang, who jumped up and raced to Katara's side, pressing his hand against her chest, and tipping a glass of water down her throat.

She drank greedily, and didn't stop until the glass was drained. The whole time, she kept her eyes on Aang, who stared at her intensely, his eyes becoming shiny with tears. When he set the glass down, Katara gave him a smile. "Thank you," she said. Aang cracked a grin too, but it didn't reach his eyes. Worried, Katara scrunched her eyebrows. "What's wrong, Aang? I'm okay, there's nothing to worry about," she said, taking his hand from her chest, and giving it a small kiss.

Aang hesitated, and then sat down on the bed, taking both of Katara's hands in his. "You didn't see the blood, you didn't hear your screams. I did, and Katara, they were the worst thing that I've ever heard, and I've heard some really bad things," he started, and Katara wanted badly to reach up and stroke his cheek, but he had a tight hold on her hands. Without really noticing, her heart began to speed up. Aang continued. "It just made me realize how utterly mortal we all are, and how anything can happen, and at any time. I mean, you were just going to get fruit, and someone thought it was okay to just take you from me, and, and hurt you the way he did," As Aang continued, Katara's veins ran cold and the back of her neck became sweaty. She wanted to Aang to let go of her. This was too much of a reminder of what had happened to her. But Aang didn't notice, because he spoke, his voice rose in pitch, and the edges of his tattoos began to glow slightly.

But Katara could not handle it anymore. "Let _go_ of me!" she cried, and wrenched her hands from Aang's. She dropped her eyes, holding her hands close to her, trembling. "Katara," Aang said, his voice full of pain and shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, and when he reached for her, Katara involuntarily flinched. Aang's eyes melted at that, and the look on Aang's face was heartbreaking, and Katara wanted to embrace him, but at the same time, she didn't.

At her cry, Sokka ran in. "Katara? Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern. He looked from Katara and to Aang, and saw Katara's shrunken figure, and Aang's guilty look, and narrowed his eyes. "Toph told you not to move too quickly or say anything too heavy around her," he said, striding up and standing next to Katara, kneeling down to her level. Looking at Sokka made her feel better. He was her constant, and she knew that he would always be around.

But as she looked at Aang, she knew that he was the love of her life, and she suddenly felt very foolish for being scared of him. "Aang," she said, reaching for his hand. This time Aang flinched at her hand, and pulled his hand away. Katara took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching again. Sokka looked at Aang. "Aang, it's okay," he assured. Aang stared at Katara again, and then tentatively took her hand in his. Katara smiled at his touch. "Just be gentle," she said, resting her head on the pillows.

Aang held her hand as if it were a bomb about to explode, his fingers barely touching hers. Sokka laid a hand on Katara's shoulder, rubbing circles on it with his thumb. "Why was I scared of Aang, Sokka?" she asked, turning her neck to face him. Sokka shrugged her shoulders.

"It could be a variety of reasons, but Mai told me that you would most likely have post-traumatic stress disorder," he said. At those words, Katara's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. So did Aang's. Sokka explained. "It means that you're more sensitive to things that resemble what happened to you. When Aang held your hands tightly, it triggered the memory of you being, er, held against your will," he said smoothly. "You weren't scared of Aang, per say, you were scared of the memory associated with his gesture," Sokka looked up at Aang, who still had the terrified look in his eyes. Sokka stood up slowly at that.

"The only way to get past the fear is to talk about it, constantly," he said, his voice lacking his usual jovial inflection. "And move slowly, and carefully. But don't treat Katara like she's damaged goods either. You both just have to find a middle ground. Don't worry, Katara, I believe that you can recover from this," he said, smiling and leaning down to slowly give her a kiss on her forehead. Katara's heart sped up a bit, but she just took a breath, and focused on the present, not letting her mind wander. It worked a bit.

When Sokka left, Katara gazed calmly back at Aang, who still held her hand lightly, afraid to even say anything. "Hey," she said, smiling. Aang looked at her, but his face was still not back to normal. Katara did the only thing she could think of. "I love you," she whispered. Aang's faced faltered, and his concerned look faded away, to be replaced by one of pure love. "I love you too, Katara," he said, and he made to give Katara a kiss, but he hesitated. Katara chuckled a bit. "It's okay, you can kiss me," she said.

Aang waited a few more seconds, and slowly lifted himself off the bed, and kneeled on the floor, level to Katara's head. She turned to face him, and she took another deep breath as he gently slipped his hand underneath her neck,and tilted her face toward his. He pressed his lips softly to Katara's, and she knew that this would be the best treatment. Because when Aang kissed her, the past, the present, and the future all melted away, and time lost its meaning. They were just two lovers, floating through space, where there was no pain or hesitation, and there was no rape and no murder. It was a peaceful serenity.


	21. The Seventh Chakra -Part One-

**So, this is my first attempt at an AU one-shot, so please go easy on me. :)**

 _The Seventh Chakra -Part One-_  
_

 _Some Background: (_ _ **PLEASE READ OR YOU WILL BE FOREVER CONFUSED**_ _)_

 _This is an_ _ **ALTERNATE UNIVERSE**_ _._

 _It is set sometime between The Blind Bandit and the season two finale and in the Fire Nation (this is_ _ **SUPER**_ _important)._

 _Aang discovered his chakras much earlier (and therefore_ _ **blocked the Avatar State earlier**_ _)._

 _Toph was introduced much earlier._

 _Therefore, there has to have been more action between the Blind Bandit and the season two finale._

 _ **Kataang**_ _never happened, and_ _ **Taang**_ _did._

 _Zuko switched sides much earlier as well._

 _Assume that an alternate scene similar to the one in the season two finale occurred._

 _Zutara_ _ **IS**_ _a thing._

 _Disregard all other things that would be evidence toward Kataang or against Zutara/Taang._

 _Katara acts on her instincts, and her issues with Toph were_ _ **never**_ _resolved._  
_

"Aang, pull down your sleeve!" Katara hissed, as the blue tip of the arrow peeked out from beneath the fabric. Aang eyes dropped to his wrist, and he gasped softly, shoving his sleeve back in place, covering the tattoo. Both he and Katara glanced around them, to make sure nobody in the market noticed anything out of the ordinary.

All four benders plus Sokka were disguised as Fire Nation citizens, and they were trying their best to fit in. Despite Zuko being a born and raised Fire Nation royal, he knew nothing about the commoner's life, and offered no advice on how to blend in. "Oh, Katara, calm down," Toph exclaimed, throwing her arm around Aang, and shoving him down to her level.

While Katara would find it extremely annoying if Zuko tried to lift her up to his height, Aang merely blushed and let Toph control him. Ugh, their relationship disgusted Katara sometimes. At least her and Zuko kept a reasonable amount of space between the two of them when they were in public. It's as if Toph wanted to draw attention to the group.

"Toph, she's right, we don't want to look too out of place, and you hanging on Aang isn't very Fire Nation-y," Sokka pointed out, as if he were the expert on all things Fire Nation. Zuko gave Katara a look that made her giggle a bit, and the five continued on their meander. They stopped to purchase some food and supplies, and successfully posed as commoners, and Katara began to even feel a sense of normality even in enemy territory, when a few Fire Nation soldiers spotted them.

"Uh oh, we have company," Toph said, letting go of Aang's hand. Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Aang followed her finger, and Katara's blood ran cold. She instinctively reached for Zuko's hand, and their fingers clasped together, a strangely intimate embrace for the two of them. "Why do you think they're coming towards us? We don't look any more suspicious than real Fire Nation citizens," Katara whispered. Zuko swallowed, his muscles tensing.

"I think we're trying to too hard to blend in, Katara. We must look too normal," he said. Aang held up his hands, quieting them down. "Calm down, Katara, it'll be okay, just act like you haven't done anything wrong, because we haven't," he said, and then turned around to face the soldiers, a goofy grin on his face.

Katara narrowed her eyes. Aang wasn't even remotely concerned with their safety. Had he forgotten what happened at Ba Sing Se? Toph and Sokka and even Zuko, who usually sided with Katara, seemed to be following Aang's lead. Zuko dropped Katara hand and stepped away from her, pretending to be fascinated with a map of the Fire Nation.

For some reason, this made Katara's blood boil. Why were they all so quick to lay down their arms. The Fire Nation soldiers weren't stupid, if they had reason to come over to investigate the five, then they were smart enough to realize that these weren't your typical commoners. And so Katara acted on her instincts.

Before the others could stop her, she lifted her hands, and all of a sudden, a huge wave of water soared through the sky, and hit all three soldiers, throwing them against the opposite building. Katara clenched her hands, and the water froze instantly, trapping the soldiers. Zuko, Toph, Aang, and Sokka all jerked to face her, with varying degrees of shock on each of their faces.

"What the hell was that?!" Toph screamed, the muscles in her arms tensing up. "You just exposed all of us!" And before Katara could reply, Aang ran in front of them, waving them forward. "It's too late for this, we need to run, now!" he said, and then they were all off. Zuko reached for Katara's hand, and she grasped it. The two ran as one, shoving past the citizens. Toph did her best to earthbend and keep the new onslaught of soldiers away from them, but they needed to run faster.

As they ran, Katara began to doubt her decision. As she registered the look of pure hatred from Toph, she dropped her eyes, feeling ashamed. She had acted on anger, without fully thinking. But now was not the time to regret her decision, now was the time to escape. And escape they did.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Toph screamed the moment they were safely on Appa, soaring through the sky. Katara, while she felt guilty, could not bow to Toph's anger. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! You honestly believe we could fool a few Fire Nation troops? They're not exactly stupid!" she shouted right back. Toph narrowed her eyes, and lunged at Katara. It took both Sokka and Aang to keep her from reaching Katara, but Katara was ready, she had her hands held up to defend herself. She was not afraid to fight Toph Bei Fong.

"We could've taken their whole armada if we had to!" she cried, struggling against Aang and Sokka. Katara exhaled loudly, stepping forward, and ignoring Zuko's calm hand on her shoulder. "Actually, we couldn't have, Toph," she said. "In case you've forgotten, which all of you seem to have, we don't have the Avatar State on our side anymore, and that's all thanks to you!" Katara had crossed the line. She knew it, and so did everybody else. Aang and Sokka's jaws dropped, and so did Zuko's hand from her shoulder.

Aang let go of Toph in his shock, and Sokka's grip loosened. Toph's eyes widened, and she disengaged her muscles, her back hunching. Katara had just opened a door that all four of them vowed to keep closed. Even Zuko, who wasn't a part of their group when it happened, knew that it was unspeakable. "Me?" Toph said, her voice silky and cold. Katara's rage was fueled, and no matter the amount of tension in the air, she was going to prove her point.

"Yeah, because of you Aang blocked his seventh chakra, and now he can't control the Avatar State, let alone go into it!" she yelled. Toph looked up at Katara, and her face softened, and became even somewhat sad. Aang's face turned beet red, and he placed his hands on Toph's shoulders. "Toph, don't," he pleaded, and Katara didn't know why. It was obvious that Aang couldn't let go of his earthly attachment to Toph, and that's why his seventh chakra became permanently closed. Everyone knew that. So why did Toph look so sad and why did Aang look some nervous?

"What is going on?" Katara snarled, becoming frustrated. She felt out of the loop, in the dark, and she didn't like it. "I guess it's time I told you," Toph said, and her voice had a strange, defeated tone to it. Aang's face turned a deeper shade of red, and he glanced wearily at Katara, and then at Zuko. Katara turned around to look at Zuko, who's face mirrored hers. They were both confused. Katara looked back at Toph.

"Told me what?" she asked, her voice softer, less angry. Whatever Toph was about to say, it wasn't rage-induced. Toph stepped away from Aang, and looked up at Katara, her clouded eyes piercing Katara's blue ones. "It wasn't me Aang wasn't able to let go of, it was _you_ ,"


	22. The Seventh Chakra-Part Two-

**A continuation of the first installment.**

 _The Seventh Chakra -Part Two-_

 _ **BE SURE TO READ BACKGROUND ON PREVIOUS CHAPTER**_

Katara hesitated. What? What did Toph just say? Did she just say that it was Katara's fault that Aang blocked his seventh chakra? That had to be a lie. Aang and Katara were just friends, best friends, but there was nothing preventing him from letting her go. Was there?

As Katara looked at Toph's face, she knew that she wasn't lying. Toph's head was tilted toward the ground, her mouth was frowning, and there were little pinpricks of tears at the corners of her eyes. But Katara didn't understand. There was no doubting how in love Aang was with Toph. Or was there? As Katara sifted through her thoughts, a few things stood out to her that didn't before. The fact that Toph always initiated any sort of physical contact with Aang, that she was the one to go in for a kiss. And there were other things, like the way Aang always invited Katara to go on expeditions with him and Toph, the way he always asked for extra time alone to practice waterbending with her, and the way that Aang was always so eager to do something if Katara was going to be involved.

Aang wasn't in love with Toph, Toph was in love with Aang. Katara's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she understood. "Oh Toph," she said, and she wanted to hug her badly, to wrap her arms around her and apologize over and over again. But she didn't. Because she knew that Toph would probably just shove her off of her anyway. "That's why you hate me so much," she whispered. Toph sniffled a bit, before standing up straight and crossing her arms, putting on a brave face. "I don't hate you, Katara. I hate the idea of you. You're everything that Aang wants, and I'm not," she explained.

Katara's eyes flicked over to where Aang stood, rooted to the spot, his face bright red, and sweat dripping from his temples. Katara would deal with him later. Boy, would he get an earful. After Aang, she rested her eyes on Zuko, and was surprised to see anger reflected in them. He wasn't looking at her, and he followed his glare and saw that it was directed towards Aang, who didn't even notice, he was too busy being mortified. _Oh dear_. Katara was going to have do a lot of damage control. But she would start with Toph.

"I honestly had no idea, Toph," she said, holding up her hands. "Aang and I are just friends, nothing happened between us," Toph held up her hand this time, cutting of Katara. She stepped forward. "I know that you guys didn't do anything. And I know that I can't be mad at Aang, he can't help the way he feels, but it still hurts. It'll be hard to fully get over it, but I'm glad I told you the truth. It hurt both of us to have to keep it a secret, but we just thought it would do more bad than good, and so we kept it to ourselves," she finished. Katara nodded, and then pulled Toph into a hug anyway. Despite her forgiving Aang, Katara knew that nobody should have to go through what Toph had.

Katara released Toph, and then turned to face Aang. Aang's eyes widened with fear, and he hid behind his hands. "I'll deal with you later, Aang," Katara hissed, her eyes narrowing, and then she stomped off towards Zuko. Toph, Aang, and Sokka lingered behind. Sokka took Toph's hand, and led her away from Aang, who stayed in his spot, too embarrassed to move.

Katara reached for Zuko's hand, and sucked in a sharp breath when her fingers touched Zuko's skin, which was boiling hot. "Geez, calm down, Zuko, everything's alright," she said, tentatively reaching for him again. His eyes swiveled in their sockets to focus on Katara, and he relaxed a bit, unclenching his fists. A plume of smoke rose from both of his hands. Katara stared at him, and then wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him close.

He hesitated, but wrapped his arms around her too, resting his head on her shoulder. "You don't ever have to worry about losing me, even if Aang has feelings for me," she whispered. Zuko didn't respond, just hugged her tighter. Katara's eyes slid closed, and she breathed in Zuko's scent, relaxing into him. "I choose you," she murmured, and then pulled back, only to press her lips to Zuko's softly. He hesitated, but kissed her back, his eyes sliding closed as well.

And from a distance, Aang watched Katara and Zuko embrace, and he felt something inside of him break, and suddenly he couldn't be here anymore. He opened his glider, and jumped up, flying away. To where, he had no idea, but anywhere was better than than where he just was. If he had stayed, he knew that the pain of losing Katara would've consumed him, and then their would have been nobody to defeat the Fire Lord and save the world.

And so Aang added love to the list of things he had to give up by being the Avatar.


	23. Control

**Based on the song by Halsey. I kind of drifted from my usual style of writing, I hope you don't mind. This will not be a permanent switch, I promise. Just trying things out.**

 _Control_

 _They sent me away to find them a fortune, a chest filled with diamonds and gold._

His banishment wasn't something that he took with pride. He was a failure, he was a disgrace, he had been stripped of his honor. The only way he could regain it would be to capture the Avatar. His father had sent him after something that everyone believed didn't exist anymore. How was he supposed to succeed and gain back his father's love?

 _The house was awake with shadows and monsters, the hallways echoed and groaned._

As he left, he heard his mother far off, screaming, and he didn't even try to fight the soldiers who guided him. The left side of his face felt as if the skin itself was peeling off in strips, burning him down to the bone, and his good eye teared up, whether from pain or humiliation, he did not know. He could still clearly see the look on his father's face, despite his injury, and the look of pure disappointment made Zuko cringe even now. The moment his feet crossed the threshold of the gates and he was outside, the soldiers let go of him and returned to the palace.

 _I sat alone, in bed 'til the morning. I'm crying, 'they're coming for me'._

Zuko couldn't watch as the soldiers went back to the only home he had ever known. He stood still for a moment, staring out at the wilderness ahead, and then he collapsed, falling into a pile on the ground, and he cried out, cursing the heavens and himself and drowning out his sorrow in his tears. His whole world came crashing down around him, and he couldn't foresee a future in which he didn't dedicate the rest of his life trying to earn back his honor. Even when his Uncle arrived, and lay a comforting hand on Zuko's weeping body, Zuko himself couldn't stop crying.

 _I tried to hold these secrets inside me, my mind's like a deadly disease._

He was already beginning to feel it. That inner turmoil, the fight between what was right and what was wrong. How could he try and capture and subsequently harm a twelve-year-old child? There was no doubt that he was an extremely powerful bender, but Zuko just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he was chasing a child. An elusive, smart, annoying child, but a child nonetheless. While on the surface Zuko was determined to capture the Avatar and return home, inside he wasn't quite sure what he wanted. As he ran into the Avatar's gang time and again, he began to find himself almost desiring what they had. Companionship, a sense of family. But Zuko had to stop thinking like that.

 _I'm bigger than my body, I'm colder than this home. I'm meaner than my demons, I'm bigger than these bones._

No matter how Azula made him feel, he had to remind himself that he was not weak, he was not ignorant, and he was absolutely capable of defeating her. Now that he had abandoned his search for the Avatar, and was living in the Earth Kingdom with his Uncle, he had felt a change in him, a switch almost. Instead of his anger being fueled by a type of hot, fiery rage, it instead was fueled by a cold, dry fury that started in his stomach, and went through his arms. It reminded him of lightning. It was a calculated, sinister feeling that made him feel very powerful, but the power was directed at a different force.

 _And all the kids cried out, 'Please stop, you're scaring me,'. I can't help this awful energy._

He smiled when the look of fear registered in Azula's eyes. She was not expecting such a response from Zuko. As far as she knew, her lightning was impenetrable. But she was wrong. Zuko felt the energy from the lightning surge through his veins as he twisted it down his left arm, through his stomach, and out the other arm. It burned him from the outside, but it made him feel more alive, somehow, and when he shot the lightning back at Azula, he felt as if he could destroy anything.

 _Goddamn right, you should be scared of me. Who is in control?_

Zuko stood tall, staring down at Azula's broken body. She struggled weakly against the chains, a crazed look in her eyes. Zuko didn't need words to convey his message. He had beaten her, once and for all, and there would be no rematch. No, Azula would never be hovering over him, pulling on the strings, pretending to be his puppeteer. Zuko held the power now, the influence, and it was good. He was good. Unlike Azula, Zuko intended his reign as Fire Lord to be a merciful, peaceful one, devoted to repairing the Fire Nation and the surrounding areas, and building better relationships with citizens from all across the world.

 _I paced around for hours, on empty. I jumped at the slightest of sounds. And I couldn't stand the person inside me, I turned all the mirrors around._

Aang wanted him to relax. Sokka suggested he go on a vacation, Ember Island perhaps. Toph just straight up told him to get over himself, and Katara didn't offer any sort of advice. She was probably still angry with him for going and talking to Ozai in the first place. She was probably right, Ozai had done exactly what Katara warned him he would do. He had gotten inside Zuko's head, taken his thoughts, and turned them into doubts. All the ideas he had for the Fire Nation suddenly seemed like instant failures, and Zuko slapped his forehead in his frustration. And every time he saw his reflection, he crinkled his nose and turned away. He couldn't stand to look at himself anymore, he resembled his father too much now.

 _I'm well acquainted with the villains in my bed. They beg me to write them so they'll never die when I'm dead._

He has dreams. Awful dreams that don't go away no matter how much jasmine tea he drinks or how often he goes to a therapist. They're his constant, the only thing that has stayed with him all these years. And they all are about himself. His past mistakes, his future mistakes, his failed journey to capture the Avatar, the ensuing distrust that followed him wherever he went, just to mention a few of the topics he dreamt about. The dreams never go away.

 _And I've grown familiar with villains that live in my head. They beg me to write them so I'll never die when I'm dead._

He will leave behind a legacy. Good or bad, Zuko will go down in history as the reigning Fire Lord that overlooked the aftermath of the hundred-year war. And right or wrong, Zuko's decision will always plague him, for the rest of his life, and they will follow him forever, and torment him forever. Even after he is long gone, he will still be alive, in the pages of this notebook, in the history books, in the portraits that hang in the palace, even in the statue that decorates the entrance to Republic City. Along with Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, he will stand amongst them, an adversary turned ally, and he will be remembered. He will be honored.

 _And all the kids cried out, 'Please stop, you're scaring me,'. I can't help this awful energy. Goddamn right, you should be scared of me. Who is in control?_


	24. The Mark Of The Waterbender

**WARNING: This chapter contains extremely DARK themes, and implications, and if that doesn't make you comfortable, I would recommend skipping this one-shot. Katara is NOT dreaming, she's not hallucinating, it's all completely real. I took a different take on bloodbending, and you need to understand that I did not do to insult or offend anyone. I did it more for the practice, and the artistic intellect it provides. Please let me know what you think, I would love to know if I could ever write something dark or twisted. Alright, prepare yourselves:**

 _The Mark Of The Waterbender_

The wind blew in her face, pulling her hair and swirling it in front of her eyes, to where she couldn't see anymore. Her mother's necklace lay cold against her neck, and she felt goosebumps on the areas of exposed skin. And still she stood, tall and silent, in the moonlight, feeling the water all around her, even within her. She hadn't bloodbended ever since her and Zuko took their trip to the Southern Raiders, and while she had promised Aang that she wouldn't ever do it again, standing beneath the full moon, with him kneeling at her knees, it was hard not to.

He was her hostage, she had taken him forcefully, she had saved all their lives. It was the least she could do, the smallest reward. He looked up at her with terrified eyes, and she smiled evilly down at him, and relished in the warm, pulsing beat of his blood in his veins. She could almost touch the blood, she shivered at the thought of it running down her fingers, dripping onto her skin. And then she couldn't help it.

She lifted her hands slowly, and the man stiffened, his eyes bulging, and his neck straining. He struggled against his restraints, but Katara chuckled maniacally, knowing that there was no escape from her. She clenched her hands into fists, and suddenly the man couldn't breathe. His face turned from red, to purple, to violet, to deepest blue, and Katara smiled again. The sheer power she held over this man, this man who was twice her weight and height, rendered weak at her mere gaze.

And the tighter she squeezed, the more the life seemed to drain away from his eyes. And, too soon, his body slumped over and he was gone, his blood losing its potency, its attractiveness, and Katara sighed, frustrated. That was always the worst part. It never lasted long enough.

And so she supposed that she would just have to go kidnap another strong man to satiate her desires.

"Katara, are you okay?" Aang asked from across the table. Katara, who had been absentmindedly crushing her crackers in her hand, hastily looked up, brushing the cracker dust to the floor. It had been a month since she had last bloodbended, and tonight there was going to be another full moon. She would have to leave early tonight, before the desire consumed her and she accidentally took it out on one of her friends. "Oh, nothing, I'm just tired, that's all," she said, suddenly aware of how unusual she was acting. She usually did a pretty good job at keeping her secret a secret.

The key was avoiding ever answering any questions directly, and thankfully Toph had left for Ba Sing Se long ago, and was no longer an issue. When Toph was around, Katara couldn't bloodbend at all, but back then, she hadn't yet realized the satisfaction associated with it, and so it wasn't so bad.

As she looked at Aang, she wished that she could teach him how to bloodbend, and then perhaps they could both stand under the moonlight and experience the full power of waterbending. But Katara knew that if she confided her secret fetish to Aang he would most likely leave her. And Katara didn't want that. No, she didn't want that at all.

"As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to go waterbend a bit, since it's a full moon tonight," she said, standing up. Aang's eyes lit up and he smiled, jumping up as well. "It is? I'll go with you," he said, making to join her. Katara hesitated, a knot forming in her stomach. She couldn't have Aang see her when she was bloodbending, she just couldn't. "No," she said, holding up her hands. She could already start to feel Aang's hot, wet blood in his veins, and it made her mouth water. She needed to hurry. She was an addict, but Aang's blood was not her drug, unfortunately. "I need to do this alone. It's, uh, personal to me, okay? I'll only be gone an hour, and then you can join me. How does that sound?" she asked, trying to sound sweet and kind. Aang narrowed his eyes in confusion, but shrugged his shoulders and sat back down like the obedient boyfriend he was.

"I guess so. But one hour, and then I'm meeting you at the top of the mountain," he said, pulling his food back towards him. Katara smiled. "Sounds like a plan," she said, and she even went so far as to walk over to Aang and lean down, pecking his cheek. Aang blushed as Katara turned around and left the temple. She walked quietly to the gates, and then pulled on her disguise that she kept hidden in the bushes for times like these, and she ran quietly into town.

She had done well this time. This man was tall, dark, and very strong. He had put up quite a fight, and Katara was worried that she would have to use bloodbending to get him to the top of the cliff, but, as they all do, he succumbed to Katara's promise of love.

Once she arrived at her spot on the top of the cliff shortly later, she breathed in the spirit of Yue, and then proceeded to calm the roaring monster inside of her that yearned for human suffering and pain. The sound of his screams resonated all the way to Katara's feet, and it relaxed her, massaging her muscles and easing her mind. She had to shut him up of course, but that was the climax of her fun, and the moment the life seeped out of him, she let out a sigh of relief, because this one had been good, this one didn't leave her wanting more, this left her satisfied.

She made to go back to the temple, but when she turned around, she about fell off the edge of the cliff. Aang was standing there, eyes wide and fearful, his arms hanging limply at his side. Katara gasped, clutching her chest and breathing heavily from the shock. She was less worried about Aang seeing the dead corpse nearby, and more worried about how she was going to explain herself. "Aang, you scared me," she said, leaning against the side of the cliff for support. Aang didn't say anything, just looked at the corpse and back to Katara. Katara, clutching a stitch in her side, looked back at him, and began to become a little frustrated.

"Why are you acting so surprised?" she panted, coughing a bit. Aang flinched, an almost guilty look overcoming him. Katara stood up straight, and wiped some of the dirt off of her arms. "I suppose I should explain," she said, stepping forward. But at that moment, Aang stepped backwards, holding his hands up in traditional airbender's form, as if he were going to defend himself. Avatar or not, Katara wasn't afraid of him. She was invincible. "Oh, getting defensive, I see?" Katara said, her voice velvety. She took another step closer towards Aang. He countered back. "Look, I've been meaning to tell you, but I just haven't found the right words," Katara began to explain. "This has been going on for about two years. I didn't realize how good bloodbending made me feel, and well, once I did realize, I was hooked. I'm an addict, I accept that, and yes, I know that I'm considered a murderer, but I think I can live with that. Besides, everyone I kill was going to be put down anyways. I'm not that crazy. They don't call me the Keeper of Justice for no reason," At that, she smirked a little at her nickname, the one the townsfolk had unknowingly given to her.

The stupid townsfolk and their legends. They believed that the men disappearing and winding up at the bottom of the cliff was evidence of a superior being, a god who was watching over them. Katara found it amusing. Aang stood stock still, his eyes still wide and astounded. Katara was waiting for him to say something.

"You, you're the Keeper of Justice?" Aang said, his voice shaky and quiet. Katara chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am," she said, looking down at the dead man. She turned to look back at Aang. "What are you going to do?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. She couldn't let him turn her over, she wouldn't allow it. Nobody was going to prevent her from bloodbending. Not even the Avatar, regardless of his relationship to her. Relationships didn't mean shit next to addictions.

"I can't let you do this anymore, Katara," he said, and a single tear ran down his cheek. Katara stopped smiling, and frowned, a look of pure evil on her face. Aang's blood ran cold and he stepped back again. "I don't want to fight you, Katara, I can't. But I'm the Avatar, so that means that I have to," he said. Strange, how quickly he was willing to put his feelings aside, especially when he wasn't able to do so as easily before. Oh yes, quite strange. Katara lifted her hands.

"In case you seem to have forgotten, Aang," she said menacingly, advancing on him. "You blocked your seventh chakra, and can no longer enter into the Avatar State. Which means that it's just you and me, water against air," she said, and she flayed her fingers. Aang only had a moment to register what she meant before he fell to his knees, his chin forced upward so that Katara could look down on him.

"And while air may suffocate, water _consumes_ ," she said, and then she pulled her hands apart, and it began.


	25. When They Fought

**So I hesitated uploading this for a while (I wrote it about a month ago) because I felt that it was just too unlike Aang or Katara, but now I've realized that I've published a lot of one-shots that aren't typical Kataang *cough cough chapter twenty four cough cough* so why not? Enjoy!**

 _When They Fought_

It was the one-year anniversary of the defeat of Firelord Ozai, and the end of the war, and the whole world was preparing for the festivities. Ba Sing Se would be hosting the formal event, and everyone who was anyone was going to be in attendance.

Among those would be the new Firelord, Zuko, and the Avatar. In fact, there was going to be a special awards ceremony that evening, commemorating the actions and sacrifices of the Avatar, and those who had stuck by him through it all. The Gaang thought it was wholly unnecessary, they didn't need to be rewarded for doing what was right, but the Earth King along with the entire nation had insisted.

Except there was just a slight little problem.

"What is going on?" Suki asked, coming to stand beside Toph, who was gazing nowhere. "The lovebirds are fighting," she explained. Suki drew in a sharp breath. Katara and Aang never fought, as far as she knew, and if they did, it was always over something silly. She stepped closer, towards the source of all the commotion. She couldn't hear very clearly what exactly was being said, but she got the sense that it wasn't some silly little quarrel.

Toph caught Suki's arm. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. I can _feel_ their rage," she warned. That only made Suki want to go in more. "Toph, we have to be at the ceremony in an hour, and we can't have the star of the night in bad spirits," she said, but Toph held tightly. Suki was annoyed. After all, she was an elite warrior, and nobody told her what to do. She groaned, and then twisted around, kicking Toph's arm with her leg. Toph let go immediately, crying out in pain, allowing Suki to escape into the temple.

As soon as she entered, she knew something was terribly wrong. Aang and Katara were circling each other, arms raised, screaming awful things. Neither of them noticed Suki, giving her time to listen in and evaluate the situation.

"How dare you say that about me! Just because I don't share the same morals or principles as you does not mean I'm a lesser person, and it definitely does not mean that I have a tainted soul!" Katara shouted, her eyes glaring daggers at Aang, who glared back just as hard. Neither of them seemed upset, just angry beyond belief. Aang retorted quickly. "You're twisting my words, Katara! I only said that you should've considered forgiveness, instead of using blood-bending! _Blood-bending_ , Katara! How could you even do that? It isn't you!" he shouted back.

Katara's eyes flared with anger, and her fists clenched together, as the two continued to circle each other. Suki was going to have to step in sooner or later. "Quit telling me who I am, Aang! In case you haven't figured it out, I am my own person, and I don't need the _Avatar_ telling me what is or isn't right! I can figure it out on my own!" she screamed. Aang narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching too. "Maybe a little guidance wouldn't be too bad for you," he said.

Suki knew at that moment that Aang had crossed the line. Katara was a fiercely independent woman who did not like to be told how to behave and what to do. While she could be a little bossy, Suki knew that Katara always had the right idea in her mind. At that moment, Katara's eyes narrowed, and her face became a veil of anger as she lifted her hands above her head, conjuring water from the small pools that decorated the temple. She pulled them up, and shoved them directly at Aang, who in turn bent a gust of wind in Katara's direction. The two elements collided, creating quite a loud explosion, and drenching Suki.

Fed up, Suki jumped into the center of the circle, holding out her arms. "Enough!" she cried. She knew that she was laughably outgunned, but if she could just get a few words of reason in, then perhaps she could break up this lovers' fight. She looked back at forth between Aang and Katara, both of who were breathing heavily, but not trying to come after Suki. Suki tried to look authoritative, but she knew that she was virtually powerless against a Master waterbender and the Avatar. But she had to try.

"Look at you guys," she said, stepping back so that Katara and Aang could see each other. While their glares faltered a bit, they still held firm. Suki sighed. She had to create an environment that would force one or the other to talk. But she couldn't do it alone. She needed another bender. She glanced towards the door of the temple slightly, where Toph still stood. Zuko and Ty Lee had joined her to investigate the commotion.

As if reading Suki's mind, Ty Lee and Toph ran into the temple. It only took a split second, but suddenly, Suki had Katara in her clutches, one hand holding her hands behind her back, and the other around her throat, bending her uncomfortably. Toph stood slightly in front of Suki, preparing to fight off Aang. Ty Lee pressed the nerves on Katara, rendering her bending useless. Aang's eyes widened, and he made to run at Suki, but she stopped him.

"Maybe now you'll listen to me!" she exclaimed. Zuko and Sokka entered the temple, last, their eyes flickering between the two sides, trying to decipher what was going on. Katara was struggling, but Suki managed to keep her still. Aang narrowed his eyes, lowering his arms and standing up straight. "Fine, but only if you let Katara go," he said. Suki shook her head. "No, because then you two will just start fighting again," she said. Katara protested this, but one squeeze from Suki shut her up. "I don't want to have to do this, but seeing Katara in this position is sometimes the only way to get you to listen, Aang," she pointed out. Aang narrowed her eyes, but didn't try to attack. Suki knew she had to speak quickly, because Ty Lee's chi block wouldn't last forever, and neither would Aang's patience.

"Aang, this is your girlfriend, and like it or not, it's your job to support her through all of her decisions, even if you don't personally agree with them. What you're not supposed to do is question her, or make her doubt her principles," she said. Aang's stance faltered, his eyes lost some of the anger, and his shoulders began to slump. Suki looked down at Katara, who was still struggling, but only slightly.

"However," she continued. "That doesn't mean you're allowed to shut down Aang's feelings on a particular issue. He has to right to express what he thinks, and if you don't agree with it, then you both need to calmly and in a civil manner work through those issues together, _not_ try and kill each other over it," Suki said, and then nodded to Ty Lee and Toph, who nodded back. Suki released Katara, who stumbled a bit before regaining her balance. She tried to stay angry at Aang, but eventually, her face softened, and her look of anger was replaced with one of defeat. Aang's eyes softened too, and his face became clouded with guilt. Suki brushed off her hands.

"You two need to remember also that what happened in the past can never be changed. However, just like the Guru told you Aang, you shape your own destiny, and so you two need to work together to solve any differences in opinion their may be between you," Suki said. Katara and Aang stared at her, clinging to her words. But Suki didn't have much more to say. She swallowed, before crossing her arms. "And if I ever see you fighting each other again, I won't hesitate to show you _exactly_ what I'm capable of," she warned, before turning around and leaving Aang and Katara to themselves. The others followed after her. Sokka caught up to her, wrapping his arm around Suki's waist.

"You sounded very wise in there, Suki," he complimented. Suki smiled a bit. "I just told them what they needed to hear, really," she explained. Sokka kissed her cheek lightly. Suki turned around to look into the temple and smiled softly to see that Aang and Katara were embracing.


	26. Pronouns and Malevolence

**This is a bit of an unusual story, just so you know. Enjoy.**

 _Pronouns And Malevolence_

Her steps were firm, echoing off the metal walls, and she held her chin high. She would not let her last moments be spent bowing to the defeat, accepting her own mortality. No, she would stare down the crowd the entire time, making sure that their last image of her was burned forever into their memory. Her hair was stringy, greasy, and pulled into a rough braid. Her clothes chaffed her skin red, and her shoes were two sizes too small but still she walked smoothly.

Her wrists ached and the smell of blood reached her nose, and she knew that she could easily bend her way out of her handcuffs, but she knew that if she made one wrong move, the whole spectacle would be for naught. She intended to die justly, and with purpose. She was not going to spend the rest of her life running, for she had done that, and she didn't want to do it anymore.

The wooden stairs creaked as she climbed up them, the guards shoving her to go faster, but she held her own, and took her own sweet time walking to the center of the platform. All was going fine, she was calm, for she had accepted her death, and it was so close to being over, and she had assumed her position when she felt it. Two heartbeats standing out from the crowd. She recognized the heartbeats.

And then suddenly she knew she would have to break free. They had come for her. Despite everything that had happened, despite her betraying them to the Fire Nation, they had come back for her. Her eyes widened, and she almost leaped off the stage, but then the rope was around her neck, scratching her shoulders, and she felt very, very afraid.

Her head whipped from side to side, as she tried desperately to think of a way to escape. As she did, she felt his light footsteps and her heavier ones, and she knew she was not alone. And so she forced to herself to calm down, assess the situation, and make a decision.

"I think we're going to have to reschedule this little shin-dig," she said, and then she stomped her foot, and the metal walls groaned, and the floor split, effectively breaking the fragile wooden platform and sending the crowd to their knees. She hastily bent away her handcuffs, and pulled off the itchy rope, throwing it on top of the executioner. "Over here!" they yelled, her saviors, and she ran towards them, jumping and ducking to avoid the guards that raced after her. She felt a sudden heat, and she swerved to avoid the ball of fire that avoided her face by mere centimeters.

She saw them a few yards away, and she reached out to them, and their hands caught onto hers, and the three ran away, using all of their power to keep the guards away from them. She did some of her best bending ever, surprising even herself with the sheer force she controlled. On either side of her, she felt the woosh of air and the soft mist of water, and she was free.

In no time, her feet hit rough, cracked earth, and the metal fortress that was her prison was behind her. She heard the groan of the giant bison, and she felt his breath and his fur, and she climbed it quickly, before collapsing on the saddle and catching her breath. The other two sat across from her, panting, and exhausted. They didn't say anything for a while as they flew far away, putting as much distance between them and the Earth Kingdom prison as possible.  
Soon, he spoke up. "What happened to you?" he asked. She didn't want to have this conversation, not now, not ever. She didn't want to justify what she had done him or to anyone, because it was her decision and she had her own, personal reasons to make it. And so she turned her face towards the sun, and closed her eyes. "What have you two been doing since, uh, I left," she whispered, feeling awkward.

After all, the last time she had been in contact with them, she had seen the both of them hauled off in handcuffs, each of them screaming obscenities in her face. She had taken it, and she had expected praise, rewards, some sort of acknowledgement from the Fire Nation, but instead, they took her to the Boiling Rock, where she experienced the worst months of her life, and was forced to attempt an escape, resulting in her ultimate capture, relocation to Ba Sing Se, and subsequent execution. Well, failed execution.

But, just like she had, the two refused to speak about what had happened to them while she was away. She just supposed it was going to remain a mystery, and she could learn to accept that. What she was really curious about, anyway, was the future. Was she back in their group, or was this all just some huge conspiracy to return her to her original captors. She didn't think so. The two didn't seem particularly anxious or nervous about anything. In fact, they were surprisingly calm.

"Well then, what now?" she asked, sitting up straighter and resting her back against the edge of the saddle. He got up, his light gait pacing back and forth. "Now you get back to teaching me earthbending," he said quietly. Her eyes widened. She did not expect this. Not at all. She expected to be treated like the traitor she was. Of course, if they knew the entire backstory as to why she did what she did, she thought that they'd think differently, but that was never going to come to light. She expected to be an outcast, an unwanted, a person who was only valued enough if she weren't dead.

Least of all, she never expected to be back in the same position she had been forced to abandon all those months ago. "What?" she replied, stupidly. The other one cocked her head to her side. "What do you mean, 'what'? You heard him," she said, her voice a bit more venomous than his. Now that, she had been expecting. She knew it would take a lot more than a simple apology to get back in her good graces.

And so she sat back, and just nodded, not questioning their motives. And as she drifted to sleep, with the gentle sway of the bison to calm her, a little voice in the back of her head whispered a warning to her.

 _Be warned, for a kind gesture is often followed by a malevolent heart._


	27. The Miracle

**So, I've realized that the past seven or eight chapters I've written have typically dark/not happy themes, and so I thought I'd shake it up a bit by adding something purely happy. So, enjoy! Also, don't worry, I'm working on that request and it should be up soon. (you know who you are :D )**

 _The Miracle_

She was sure her eyes had failed her. As she stared at her son, her beautiful baby, who had turned one mere days ago, he grinned toothlessly at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Do it again," she cooed, waving her hands forward. If he did it again, then she would be sure that she wasn't making things up. Tenzin stared at his mother for a beat, and then giggled, a chorus of bells, and lifted his hands, and almost pushed them playfully at Katara.

It was barely noticeable, but to Katara, it was everything. A small little breeze hit her face, nothing more than a light, gentle touch, but more than your ordinary, everyday breeze. Her face broke into a smile that stretched from cheek to cheek, and she couldn't help but squeal in happiness and joy, and run to her son and pick him up and spin him around. "My wonderful little boy," she cooed, pressing him against her chest and hugging him as tightly as was possible. She felt such immense pride, and she was on cloud nine, and she wanted to run and jump and scream to the world that the Air Nomads would live on forever.

At her noise, her other two children, Kya and Bumi, raced into the sunroom, with confused looks on their faces. "What is it, mommy?" Kya asked, her young, bright eyes gazing curiously up at Katara. Katara smiled down on her, and she didn't think she'd ever be able to stop. "You're little brother Tenzin is an airbender," she explained. Just hearing the words made her giddy, and she had to go find Aang. Kya and Bumi's faces broke into huge, goofy grins, and the each reached for Tenzin, begging to see the evidence.

"Calm, children. He isn't able to do what dad can, he's only a baby. But we'll get to teach him, together," she said, bending down and hugging all three of her children. Nothing could be better than this moment right now, right here, except maybe telling Aang. "Come on, let's find daddy," she said, and the kids ran ahead of her, out into the courtyard where Aang was meditating, his yellow and orange robes standing out against the greenery. "Daddy! Daddy! Tenzin is an airbender! Airbender!" Kya shrieked, running down the steps and crashing into Aang, who was brought out of his meditation abruptly.

He chuckled, accepting Kya's hug, and looked even more surprised when Bumi crashed into him as well, his legs not quite as fast or nimble as Kya's. "What did you say, Kya?" he asked, as Katara approached him, Tenzin on her hip, absentmindedly tangling his fingers in her hair. Kya's face was flushed and excited, and Katara knew it would take some serious chamomile tea to get her to calm down. "I said, Tenzin is an airbender!" she exclaimed, a fresh wave of the giggles overcoming her as she jumped off of Aang and proceeded to chase Bumi around the garden.

Aang's eyes widened, and he turned, shocked to rest his eyes on his wife and youngest child. "Really?" he asked, as Katara sat down next to him, and handed him his son. He hugged him close, all the while staring at Katara, who nodded, her eyes shiny with tears. "Can you believe it?" she said, her voice thick. Aang's face broke into a grin that lit up the world, that cured diseases, that spread happiness. He pulled Katara into an embrace, and his shoulders heaved with tears of joy. After a minute, he leaned back, kissed Katara, and then looked down at Tenzin.

"Oh, my son, I can't wait to teach you everything I can about airbending," he said, lifting Tenzin and pressing his nose against his. Tenzin giggled beautifully, and Katara laughed too, and called Kya and Bumi over. Together, after much persuasion to get Kya to stop screaming 'he's an airbender' every ten seconds, the five family members circled around each other, with Katara and Aang's arms pulling their children close. "I love each of you so much," Aang said, peering at his perfect family. Katara beamed at him, and her children. Nothing could beat this moment. Nothing at all.

Except maybe telling Toph. Or Sokka. Or Zuko. Katara couldn't suppress the sheer hope and ecstasy that was cascading through her if she tried.


	28. The Handshake Interruption Induction

**As requested by mrdbznarutofan. Hopefully it meets your expectations! I'll get to work on the other requests soon. :) Enjoy!**

 _The Handshake Interruption Induction_

"But I don't think we have time to go to town," Katara said, organizing and reorganizing the mess of maps and outlines and scrolls that Sokka left lying around. Aang leaned against his staff, sighing. "Katara, it's only a couple of hours. Ozai isn't going to try and kill me until at least next week," he stated, grinning at Katara. It only made her angrier. She scrunched up her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes, standing up straight. "I'm glad you see this whole thing as a joke, Aang," she said coldly, dropping the pile of maps onto the ground. Aang's eyes widened and he held up his hands.

"No, that's not what I meant," he started to say, but Katara cut him off, shoving past him. "Forget it, let's go to the stupid street festival," she said, slamming the door behind her. Aang waited a beat, before groaning and slapping his hand against his forehead. "I'm such an idiot," he said, and then followed Katara out the door.

The first thirty minutes were the most awkward thirty minutes Aang had ever spent with Katara. She kept her mouth shut, didn't pay any attention to Aang's attempts at conversation, and maintained a strict two feet between them at all times. Aang felt awful, but he didn't know what to do, so they walked in silence, occasionally stopping to observe a street performer or buy something to eat.

Finally, Katara spoke, but the words weren't necessarily directed at Aang. She stopped in her tracks and held her hand up, pointing northeast. Her eyes were wide with intrigue as she spoke. "That looks interesting," she said, and then she weaved through the crowd to get up close. Aang followed her, glad that she was acting not really normal, but not sultry and distant.

The two broke through the front of the audience to see a small platform serve as a stage, with a very flamboyant street performer standing on it, his clothes bright and mismatched, with a very precarious hat sitting on top of his head. He looked ridiculous, but Aang thought that was probably the point. "Welcome one, welcome all, to Yen Chin's amazing hypnosis show!" he exclaimed, acting as if he had lights and music and was in fact performing for over a thousand people, rather than the few dozen that stood around him at the moment.

Aang felt a bit embarrassed for him, but Katara seemed wholly interested, and so he was too. The hypnotist walked in a circle, smiling gleefully. "For my next trick, I will perform the Handshake Interruption Induction, a hypnosis designed not only to put someone to sleep temporarily, but to have them do your bidding as well," At that, he paused, and stared directly at Aang. Aang didn't think there was any significance to it, he just happened to be in the hypnotist's line of sight. "However," he said, his voice an octave lower, with a hint of mystery. "The effects are only temporary, and once the person is conscious again, you will be unable to perform the act for at least twenty-four hours," And then he stood up straight, clasped his hands together, and smiled wildly.

"Now, I'll need a volunteer," he said, and his eyes scanned the crowd. A few people raised their hands, but as luck would have it, his eyes rested on Katara. He smiled warmly, and offered her his hand. "How about you, my dear?" he asked. Aang looked at her, a bit uneasy. He wasn't sure he felt comfortable having Katara going under hypnosis. But he couldn't stop her, because she smiled and nodded, allowing the street performer to help her onto the platform. He produced a chair, and instructed Katara to sit down. She obeyed, and then the hypnotist looked out to the audience again. Aang watched Katara, and her eyes glanced down to meet his once, and then returned to gazing at the man.

"Now listen closely," he said. "The first thing I'm going to do is ask young, er," he looked to Katara for her name. She supplied it, and he went on. "I'm going to ask young Katara here to shake my hand," He gestured for Katara to go ahead. She extended her hand, and so did the man, speaking once again to the audience. "Now, watch me very carefully," he said. As he went to shake Katara's hand, instead he grabbed her wrist gently, using his thumb and middle finger, softly pressing on the veins that ran underneath the skin. He lifted her hand upward, turning it so that her palm was facing her face, and Aang noticed Katara's eyes flicker a bit.

"Look at your hand," he said smoothly, captivatingly. Aang found himself leaning in as Katara focused on her palm. As she was looking, the hypnotist moved her hand closer to her face, whispering softly. "Now I want you to notice the gradually changing focus of your eyes," he instructed. As Katara looked, her eyes became cloudy and unfocused, and her face went blank. It worried Aang, he had to force himself to let go of the platform. The hypnotist had lost all of his flamboyance, he was all business now. He looked intensely into Katara's eyes, still holding onto her hand.

"You're not going to remember this ever happened. You're going to leave the moment I release you, do you understand?" he asked. Katara nodded numbly, and Aang's heartbeat sped up. He didn't like seeing Katara in such a vulnerable state. But he had to admit, the hypnosis had its advantages. Such as asking Katara to do something she wouldn't normally do. The ideas flowed through Aang's head as he watched the hypnotist let go of Katara's hand, and snap his fingers. Suddenly, her eyes refocused and cleared, and she stood up quite rigidly, and walked clear off the platform and through the crowd, who began clapping for the performer.

Aang clapped once and then chased after Katara, who stopped a few yards away, and rubbed her temples. When Aang caught up to her, he slung his arm across her shoulders and kept her balanced. "What just happened? I feel like I've woken up from a dream, and I have the worst headache," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. Aang hesitated, pondering telling her about the handshake, but decided against it. It may come of use to him in the future. "Yeah, you just drank something that had a little too much cactus juice in it, that's all," he said lamely, and guided her back to the temple where the rest of the gang was waiting.

***  
Oh just do it, Aang, it's not a big deal, you can just tell her to forget it, can't you? Aang paced the floor, unsure of whether or not it was ethical to put Katara under hypnosis without her consent. But she wouldn't remember, not if I told her to not, Aang's subconscious argued. And his subconscious had a question he had been dying to ask. And so he groaned, stomping his foot on the ground in his frustration. He had been pondering over it for a week, and he just needed to do it. What was the big deal anyway? It's not like it was dangerous or anything.

And so he marched to where Katara was alone, practicing her waterbending. Aang had brought along a scroll to pretend to show to Katara, to get her to reach out her hand, and he knew he was agile enough to perform the act quickly. "Hey Katara," he called. Katara stopped bending, her spiral of water dropping with a dull splash back into the pond. "What's up?" she called back, turning to face Aang. Aang felt his face growing red, and he knew that any moment his mind would tell him to stop what he was doing, but he had to satisfy the beast in his stomach.

"I just think you need to see these," he said, holding out the scrolls. Katara scrunched her eyebrows, and reached for the paper, and the instant she did, Aang dropped the scrolls and copied what the hypnotist had done. He gently grabbed Katara by the wrist, using his thumb and middle finger, and pressing on the area where her pulse was strongest. He lifted her hand and turned it to so that her palm was facing her. "Look at your hand," he said softly, and Katara did, a confused look on her face. Thankfully, whatever Aang had done had induced some sort of semi-paralysis, so she didn't struggle against him. Simultaneously, he moved Katara's palm closer to her face. "Notice how your eyes are gradually changing focus," he said, and Katara's eyes looked at her hand, her pupils dilating. The obtained the familiar hazy look, and Aang knew that this was his chance. He didn't have long.

"I want you to kiss me," he said, and then he waited as Katara's eyes slid up to meet his. And he waited. And he waited.


	29. The Mark Of The Earthbender

**So, now that I've finished with the elements, I may go on to do other things. *cough cough sword and fan cough cough*. Enjoy! :) And yay one away from thirty chapters WOW I didn't think I'd stay this interested for this long. Just goes to show that ATLA is timeless.**

 _The Mark Of The Earthbender_

She sat on the top of the building, her legs hanging off the edge, her hair tickling her face. She could still feel the heat radiating from Zuko's flames beneath her, and the light spray of Katara's water barely reached her, reduced to nothing but mist.

She hated when they fought. She had somehow turned into the mediator, the peacekeeper between the two, and she didn't like it. And the thing was, they never fought about things worth fighting about. It always had to do with whether or not the other truly cared about the mission, or if Zuko had really accepted his mistakes, or something like that.

It drove Toph crazy, and she wanted badly to just scream at them and tell them to let it go, Zuko was part of the team and nothing was going to change that. Everyone, even Sokka, trusted him, so why couldn't Katara?

And so Toph groaned, standing up and looking down below her, at Zuko and Katara's rotating figures. Sokka, Aaan, and the others stood a good distance away, for want of keeping their eyebrows attached to their forehead. Toph lifted her hands and stomped her right foot. Instantly, a huge platform of rock, of which Katara and Zuko were standing on, shot up into the air, dozens of feet up until they were level with Toph, who stared at them blindly.

Thrown off-balance, Katara had been flung into Zuko's arms, and the whole situation was quite awkward. " Enough," Toph said calmly. Katara shoved Zuko off of her, and stood up straight, holding her left arm against her chest. Toph suspected some sort of burn. Oh great. Now she'd have to listen to Sparky's incessant apologies, and subsequent rage when Katara rebuffed his attempts. It was a never-ending cycle. Toph knew it all too well.

Zuko stood up too, and wiped his hands on his robe. Toph smelled the sharp, metallic scent of blood in the air, and she knew it meant that Zuko had been struck in the hands by some of Katara's ice stilettos. Interesting, Zuko was usually really good at avoiding those.

"I'm so sick and tired of you trying to kill each other," Toph said, lowering her hands as Zuko and Katara walked off the platform of earth and onto the edge of the temple's roof. "I'm not trying to kill him," Katara explained, pulling her hair into a new braid. Toph raised her eyebrows, and pointed to Z's hands. "Well, you could've fooled me," she pointed out jerking her head in the direction of Zuko's bloodied hands. Katara's heart sped up a bit at that, and she stepped forward. "Did I do that?" she asked, her words directed towards Zuko. Zuko pulled his hands back, tucking them into his pockets. "They'll heal, it's no big deal," he assured. Toph felt an ounce of respect for Zuko at that moment. Despite his past, he always took the blame and never played the victim. Toph felt Katara's face soften as she reached for him.

As she did so, she winced, her left arm resisting the movement. Oh great, Toph thought. They were about to have a moment. "Did I do that?" Zuko asked, repeating Katara's words. Katara hid her arm, her eyes trained on the ground. "I can heal it, don't worry. I can heal you too, if you want. I mean, it's my ice stilettos that caused it," she said, her voice low. Zuko waited a beat, and then accepted her offer. The two approached each other, effectively cutting off Toph.

In her frustration, she clenched her hands, and jumped onto the platform of earth. "Well, you guys have fun healing each other, okay? Same time next week?" she spat, and before Katara or Zuko could protest, Toph sent the pillar of earth back to ground level. A plume of dust rose around her, and she easily navigated through it, coming to a stop in front of Aang and Sokka.

"You really can break up a fight, Toph. I didn't think they were ever going to stop," Aang said, clapping a hand on Toph's shoulder. She knew that Aang meant well, but his compliment just made her angry. It wasn't her job to keep the peace. As a matter of fact, it was Aang's job. He was the Avatar after all.

"Yeah, well next time I'm just going to let them kill each other. I'm through being their counselor," she hissed, and then she shoved past Aang and plopped down next to Appa, who never complained or frustrated her. "Why can't everyone just get along?" Toph mused to herself, closing her eyes.

First it had been her and her parents, and then her and Katara, and now, even though she wasn't the focal point, she was surrounded by conflict. She felt someone approaching her, with heavy footsteps and an awkward gait. Sokka.

"Hey Toph," he said, sitting down next to her. Toph felt her heart speed up and she once again as grateful that only she had the superhuman hearing. "What do you need, Sokka," she said, her voice harsher than she intended it to be. Sokka leaned against Appa, resting on his soft fur. "Nothing," he said, stroking Appa, who's low grumbling sent waves through the air. Toph sighed, pushing her bangs out of her eyes and stretching. "I just don't see why Katara can't get over herself and trust Zuko," she explained. Sokka crossed his arms and shrugged. "She's a stubborn girl," he answered. "But she'll realize eventually that she's being more of a hinderance than a help. But she'll need guidance," He turned to face Toph. "Your guidance,"

Toph huffed, laughing with humor. "That's funny. Katara only deals with me because I have to help Aang. Otherwise, it's highly unlikely we'd ever be friends," she said. Sokka shrugged his shoulders again, pushing himself up straight and walking away, pausing a bit before leaving the courtyard. "You know, Toph, you don't give yourself enough credit," he said softly, and then left, leaving Toph to consider his words alone.


	30. The Pythagorean Theorem

**This is purely fluff with no plot at all. Enjoy!**

 _The Pythagorean Theorem_

"I literally didn't even finish my basic education," Aang said as he looked at the math problem from different angles, taking the sheet of paper and turning it over and over in his hands, trying to make sense of the numbers and letters. Katara, a touch amused, took the paper from Aang's hands and laid it flat on the table. "I know, that's why I'm teaching you the rest of what you should really know before going into these extremely taxing and intellectual meetings," she said, smoothing the paper and sitting down next to Aang, who huffed and sat down next to her, crossing his arms.

"I should've just waited a year to freeze myself in a block of ice, at least then I would've completed my education," he whined, dragging his ink and quill toward him. Katara smiled a bit, and pecked him on the cheek. "Yeah, but then you wouldn't have met me," she whispered. Aang blushed and looked at her, smiling. "Yeah, I guess that's true," he whispered back, and then kissed her on the lips. As great as it was, Katara had to break away, pointing at the paper.

"Stop distracting me," she chuckled, turning Aang's chin to look at the paper. Aang laughed too, but listened to what Katara had to say. As she walked Aang through basic algebra, Toph and Zuko slinked past, eavesdropping to a certain extent. "I didn't finish my education either," Toph muttered, trying her best to keep her footsteps light. Zuko, on the other hand, stomped away, and Toph worried that he was distracting Aang.

"What I don't get is that I'm the oldest, next to Sokka, so why am I not teaching Aang math and language? I'm the most educated, after all," he said, turning the corner. Toph stopped, and Zuko had to catch himself from falling on top of her. She crossed her arms, and gave Zuko a look that made Zuko feel as if he was just wrong on all levels. "What?" he asked, feeling dumb. Toph had a way of doing that to him, he noticed. Toph rolled her eyes. "Just because you know it doesn't mean you can teach it," she explained. "I mean, we all saw how you first were with Aang and teaching him firebending,"

Immediately, Zuko went on the defensive. "Hey, bending isn't something you can learn overnight, and everyone learns differently, and I had never taught before, and," Toph held up her hand, and Zuko stopped talking, feeling very foolish. Again, Toph always made him feel this way. He needed to learn to not let her rile him up the way she always did. "I know, you had your reasons, but you had to get help to teach him, and Katara just isn't like that. She taught Aang waterbending almost completely by herself, and she knows how he learns. She's just simply the better option," Toph pivoted on her heels, and sped off down the hallway, Zuko turning and going the opposite direction, not quite mad, just a little flustered.

Meanwhile, Aang scratched out the answer to the math problem, and was rewarded with one kiss. Needless to say, it was excellent motivation. "You're doing great," Katara encouraged. "Compared to Sokka, you're flying through these problems!" At that moment, Sokka entered upon hearing his name. He sauntered in, hands on his hips, with an insulted glare on his face. "What's that you were saying, Katara?" he asked, upset but clearly not angry. Katara blushed and swiveled around.

"Oh, nothing Sokka, just telling Aang about your younger self," she made up, smiling awkwardly. Sokka nodded, walking over to peer at the paper. As he pretended to examine it, Katara and Aang watched him closely. "Hm, oh yeah, that's the Pythonarigam Theory, right?" he said, trying to sound very sure of himself. Katara chuckled, and shook her head, pulling the paper away from him. "Maybe you should just stick to your sword lessons," she prompted, and Sokka pursed his lips, and threw back his shoulders, unsheathing is sword. "Don't doubt me, sister," he warned, and then pranced away.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other, and both burst out laughing. "You can always rely on Sokka to make even the most boring things funny," Aang said, pushing out his chair and standing up, stretching. Katara copied him, but for opposite reasons. "Hey, we're nowhere near through," she said. Aang yawned, starting to walk away. "Can't we take a break? Maybe we could do some extracurricular activities," he said slyly, eyes narrowing mischievously. Katara blushed, hesitated, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I guess this math isn't going anywhere,"


	31. When Death Presents Itself

**So, this is a weird chapter. Expect darker one-shots from now on guys, they're just my strong suit and I enjoy writing them more than other types. So, if you put in requests, expect some dark twist. Anyway, enjoy.**

 _When Death Presents Itself_

She had to be in the Spirit World. How else could she be seeing what she was seeing? She was standing on what felt like solid ground, and her surroundings didn't seem to be altered, except for one pivotal thing. She was staring at her reflection. Only, it wasn't her reflection. This Katara had her arms hanging at her sides, her shoulders lifted slightly, and her hair straight and still, framing her face. She was paler, colder, and Katara felt uneasy.

This 'other' Katara stood between the softly sleeping figures of Sokka and Aang, and she looked at neither of them. She didn't even breathe. Katara felt her blood run cold as she tried to figure out what was happening. She felt a strange sense of surrealism, and she pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't even remember how she got to where she was standing right now. She couldn't call out for help, she could only stare at the other version of her, her own personal antithesis.

She almost spoke, and then her reflection lifted its head slightly, and opened its eyes. That's when Katara's heart stopped and she felt a fear so intense it froze her to the spot and all she could do was look, as her breath caught in her throat and her stomach filled with fright. For the alternate Katara's eyes were pitch black, with no irises, no pupils, nothing, just complete black, a void. As Katara stared, her eyes almost attracted to the blackness, she noticed that its eyes weren't flat, they were expansive, reaching into the depths of this other being, and at the very center was Katara herself, her true self.

"What are you?" Katara breathed, flinching at her own words, unaware that she had spoken out loud. The figure didn't react to her words, instead it sucked in a shaky, rattled breath that shook Katara to her core, and she looked down to Aang and Sokka, who were still sleeping soundly, and she prayed that they stayed that way. This was her nightmare.

She swallowed, her palms sweaty with terror, and she waited for the figure to answer her question. She waited, the silence crushing her, and she begin to feel very, very trapped. She glanced around her, behind her, and when she turned back around, she screamed and fell backward as the figure was only inches away from her face. Katara clutched her racing heart, and stumbled backward from the figure, who stayed in its spot, and stared at her with its unseeing black holes that served as its eyes.

"I am Death," it said in a voice that sounded like Hell itself and Katara shrieked at the sound, covered her ears as the voice of a thousand demons pierced her soul. She didn't want to hear that voice ever again, she knew that that voice would haunt her for the rest of her days, and so she pressed her hands over her ears as tightly as she could. 'Death' stared at Katara until she forced herself to stand up, her knees weak but strong enough to keep her erect. Death's eyes followed her up, and in a split-second, was standing back between the sleeping Aang and Sokka.

Katara began to feel a new fear, a selfless fear, a fear for her family. Why was Death standing between them? And why had it presented itself to her alone? Certainly she was being punished for some awful deed done long ago, right? But she didn't have time to sift through her list of sins, because then Death spoke again and Katara wished her eardrums would burst, anything to stop the onslaught of horror that emanated from the mouth of Death.

"Choose," it said, holding out its hands to gesture to both Aang and Sokka. Katara looked at Death, confused, and looked at Aang and Sokka, both of who were unaware of Death standing over them, unaware of the position Katara had been put in. As it clicked in her brain, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and she shook her head. She could not, she would not choose. This was crazy, she had to be dreaming, this couldn't be real, she had just had too much cactus juice, right?

But as she stared at Death, she knew that she was not dreaming, this was all one-hundred-percent real, and she knew somehow, intuitively, that if she did not make a choice, Death would take both from her. "Why?" Katara found herself asking, her voice breaking as the tears ran down her cheeks. Suddenly, Death was upon her, and Katara was bent back, sobbing with extreme alarm as she could smell Death's breath and feel its soul latching onto hers. "Wrong question," it hissed. She had never felt so vulnerable, literally centimeters from Death, and she tripped over her feet and fell onto the ground, lifting her hand to block Death from her line of sight, and somehow, when she removed her hand, Death was back where it was originally standing.

"Choose," it repeated. Katara tried to suck back her tears, but it only made it worse, and she shook her head again. Now, Death's face changed from it's blank expression into one of anger, and Katara had to close her eyes, and was too afraid to reopen them, afraid that Death would appear before her again. "Fine, I'll choose!" she cried, slowly opening her eyes. Thankfully, Death was in its usual spot, and the look of anger had left its face. And she looked down at the Avatar, and then down at her brother. Neither deserved to die, they had both lived such short lives, extraordinary lives yes, but short nonetheless.

And Katara would have to live with this decision for the rest of her life. She would be a murderer. But she knew in her heart what choice she had to make. And so, with tears thick enough to blur her vision, she collapsed next to her brother, wrapping her arms around him and crying and shaking her head and holding him tighter than she ever had before. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Katara cried, rocking back and forth, releasing an anguish she had never felt before. Somehow, Sokka slept on, and Katara felt that what she was doing wasn't actually happening in the physical world.

And then Death placed a hand on her shoulder, and instead of inciting fear and horror, she felt a strange comfort, and when she turned to look, Death's eyes weren't black anymore, they were a reflection of Katara's, and she felt a bit better. These eyes were kind, and it reminded Katara that Death could be merciful and even desired. And so she let Death lead her away from Sokka, and before she knew it, she was waking up to sunshine.

The moment she woke up, she knew it had happened. She didn't feel sadness, strangely, just a numbness as she stood up and went over to where Sokka lay. He wasn't breathing, that much was clear, and as Katara knelt in front of him and put her palm on her cheek, it was cold. But he looked so peaceful, as if he were still were really asleep, and she knew that his passing had been painless.

"What happened," Aang said from behind her, and Katara looked up at him, calmly, her eyes shining. "Sokka's gone," she whispered, and as Aang registed the fact and fell on his knees in front of Sokka, Katara looked beyond him, and for a moment, she saw the shine of black eyes in the forest, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

Death would never leave her.


	32. Counting Fingers

**Okay, next time I promise it won't be so disconnected from the series. I kind of went off on a tangent, my apologies! :) Enjoy.**

 _Counting Fingers_

"Just tell me what happened," she said, her ankles crossed and her pen poised. Her palms were sweaty as she rubbed them on her dress, and she looked nervously over her shoulder at the door for the fifth time. The therapist snapped her fingers, redirecting Katara's attention. "Nobody is going to hear us, Katara," she reminded, and Katara nodded, looking down at her lap. She took a deep breath, swallowed, and told her story.

"He had asked me before," she started, and her mouth went dry and she began coughing. It was almost as if her subconscious was preventing her from confessing. Her therapist made to reach for the pitcher of water on the table, but Katara just lifted her hands and bended the water toward her, it spiraled elegantly through the air and into her mouth, where she drank greedily. Once she had her fill, she bent the water back into its container and took another deep breath.

As she told her story, she absentmindedly began pulling at her fingers, counting them over and over in her head and she recited the events of last week. "I had said no before, and it wasn't hard. I mean, how hard is it to say no to murder? Not very hard. But this time, I don't know, maybe I was just so fed up with him asking, or maybe I wanted a change of pace, or hell, maybe I was just bored, but this time, I said yes," Katara's eyes swiveled up to focus on a crack in the ceiling. _One finger, two finger, three finger_. She counted over and over in her head, pulling her fingers until her knuckles popped, repeating the cycle over and over again.

"And so he took me away, and I'm not quite sure what happened after that, he gave me some sort of miracle drug he called it ecstasy, I think, and then I didn't know who I was or what I was doing. I just remember feeling immense pleasure and something warm on my hands, and I wanted to do it again, and when he invited me again, I said yes almost eagerly, I don't know, maybe I just wanted the drugs," _Four finger, five finger, one finger._ The therapist's eyes narrowed as they studied Katara, her pen scribbling on the paper. Katara honed in on that scribbling, and she tried to make a beat out of it, but it didn't work, it wasn't consistent enough, it wasn't tempoed, she needed to stop.

"Can you stop writing?!" Katara cried, slamming her hands down on the cushions on either side of her. The therapist's eyes widened marginally, and the awful scribbling stopped. Katara was breathing heavy, her heart racing, and she clutched at her fingers. _Six finger, seven finger, eight finger._ "Is that bothering you?" the therapist asked. Katara nodded, gulping, and lifting her hand to wipe the sweat off of her forehead. It did nothing to help her. Every nerve ending was alive, exposed, and she suddenly became attuned to the syncopated click of the clock, and the pitter-patter of the rain on the windowsill, even her own heartbeat, and they didn't match up, they were three separate beats and Katara couldn't focus on just one, her eyes swirled in their sockets, and suddenly she screamed.

Her hands covered her ears as she screamed, curling into a ball, and falling onto the couch. The therapist dropped her paper and pen and rushed over to Katara, putting her hands on Katara's back and almost hitting her. But she hit her in rhythm, and counted the rhythm out loud, and slowly, Katara's screams ebbed, and she lay quiet, her hands still clamped on either side of her head, with tears leaking out of her eyes. Her therapist kept hitting and kept counting.

 _One finger, two finger, three finger._ "I think we're done for today," the therapist said as soon as Katara was sitting up and counting her fingers like normal again. Katara nodded, began to tap her foot. Everything had to be in rhythm, everything. Things that weren't in rhythm were evil, malevolent, and they had to be destroyed. That's why she did it after all. Those people weren't in rhythm, they did things sporadically, without a plan, and that's how he convinced her to do it. That, and the drugs. As the orderlies came inside, they made extra careful to walk in sync, each of their footfalls matching Katara's counting.

They knew how to make her comfortable, and so she walked out with them willingly, counting her fingers and counting to three over and over again. O _ne finger, two finger, three finger._

***

"And your professional opinion, Doctor Lee?" the Judge asked, and Dr. Lee stood up, smoothing her papers in front of her. "Your honor, it is my professional opinion that the defendant, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, suffers from an extreme form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a borderline schizophrenic, and therefore should be declared mentally insane, and therefore admitted to an insane asylum," she said smoothly, sitting back down. The Judge pondered for a moment, before lifting his gavel and hammering it on the table. "I agree, please admit Katara of the Southern Water Tribe to the Kyoshi Institute For Exceptional Young Women immediately," he said.

***

And as Katara sat in her cell, the only light a sliver coming through the cracks in the door, her hair hanging in greasy strands and her whole body aching from malnourishment, she smiled a wicked smile. And as the guards passed, she laughed softly to herself. And while those around her believed her to be insane, to be crazy, she knew exactly what she was doing. Because Katara, well, Katara knew how to play crazy. _One finger, two finger, three finger indeed._


	33. Those Who Aren't Saved

**In case you didn't see it before, ALL STORIES WILL BE DARK FROM NOW ON, so know that you have been warned and forever hold your peace. Enjoy and feedback is always appreciated. Let me know if I suck! (although in kinder terms please ;D )**

 _Those Who Aren't Saved_

She took it. She kept her mouth shut, she didn't look away, she let them kick and scream at her. They laughed too, as they threw the rocks. At one point, someone threw some water on her, and it took all of her energy not to bend the liquid off of her and slice the bully's throat with it. She didn't do that, of course, but it was tempting. She could slit each of their splotchy throats if she had a mind to, but she knew that if she did, she'd have to run, and she didn't want to do that. And so she let them hurt her.

And when she got home, she locked her door, ignored her parents, and ducked underneath her bed to grab her little box of razors. They were shiny and clean, having not been used for a few weeks, her longest streak. But she couldn't do it anymore. They had hurt her to the point where she didn't even feel. Even when she practiced her bending in private, she didn't feel connected to the water. The only way she could gain release was by harming herself in a more intimate way. You could throw rocks all day, but only the sharp edge of a razor could penetrate what lay beneath the thin layer of skin.

She watched as the blood crawled slowly down her palm, seeping into the lines of her hand, dripping off the ends of her fingertips, and she bended it softly, until it hovered in the air, little drops of her DNA, bright red against the white walls. Suddenly, in a flush of anger, she squeezed her palm, the blood sticky, and flicked her fingers, and the blood went splattering against the wall. It left a mural of her pain, her suffering, and she felt the tears slide down her cheek, uninvited. She usually didn't allow herself to feel so much emotion, but once she started, she couldn't stop.

She lifted her hands, and drew water from the air molecules and manipulated them to a point, freezing them and throwing them like darts at the windows, which shattered. She closed her eyes on the sound, and stood up, twisting her hands and producing tendrils of water that swirled, snakelike and quick, pulling items from her room and throwing them against the wall. In the midst of the chaos, Katara screamed, her voice choked with sadness and desperation.

She had nobody. Her parents didn't understand, she had no friends, even her counselors didn't offer any help. She was utterly alone in her own, personal little hell. She was shunned because she was a bender, this supposedly extraordinary being that had been pushed into the shadows, taught to be silent, and forced to suppress their abilities. The hopelessness coursed through Katara, and not even her parents could control her.

She stood up the moment her parents opened her door, and somehow, she shoved them out of the way without even touching them. She swung her arms, and before she knew it, they were kneeling on the ground, groaning and straining against some sort of invisible barrier Katara didn't know. The only thing she felt was a strange pulsing, and then she was out the door and running down the streets.

She ran until her legs could carry her no further and she collapsed in front of the legendary Avatar Aang's house. He was the master of all four elements, and they had compensated him greatly in return for his surrendering of his powers. He was Katara's age, if not a little bit younger, and she used to idolize him, the great keeper of peace, until he became locked away inside his mansion, surrounded by guards. Now she hated him. How could he lay down his arms that easily, and leave the rest of the benders to defend themselves? He of all people should understand how hard it was hiding such a paramount part of oneself, and yet, he took the money.

As she stared up into the dark windows, she wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to slow down her breathing. She knew her parents would be after her soon, having chased her down the road, and so she stood up, shakily, again, and elevated her arms. Mustering up all the energy and fight she had left in her, she summoned water from all around her, the air, the stream bubbling in the Avatar's garden, even the sweat off the back of her neck. She pulled it all together, and in a large enough explosion to wake up the entire town, she sent it all spiraling in different directions, shooting through the Avatar's stained-glass windows, twisting around the lamp posts and pulling them to the ground.

She even sent it inward, wrapping around her torso and her entire body, enveloping her in a suit of water, sucking the air away from her lungs. She kept her eyes wide so she could witness the destruction that followed her wherever she went. This inner turmoil, released. This would be her legacy, this would her be her last expression, her last message. And as her eyes became fuzzy and her heart slowed exponentially, she saw the blurry figure of an airbender racing towards her, and then everything went black.

The newspapers didn't even write her a eulogy, for none cared about a fallen waterbender. Except one.

And as he held the lifeless figure of the only waterbender he knew to be in existence, he lifted his head to the sky and cursed the gods for taking another soul, for leaving another culture extinct, and for further unbalancing the world. Not only was he the last airbender, he was the last bender left now.

Nothing could protect him anymore.


	34. Keep Her Face

**So, for those of you who watch Game of Thrones, you should most definitely recognize this parallel, I literally just changed a few things. I love/hate this scene for many reasons, and I hope you can appreciate the take on it. Enjoy!**

 _Keep Her Face_

Katara knelt down on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes, her hands shielding her face, even though she knew that they would do little to prevent the lightning from piercing her face. "Please, you don't have to do this," she said, her voice thick with tears. The sound echoed throughout the hall, and Azula merely glared down at her, her hands pointed directly at her, her fingers stiff. "It would send a message to the Earth Kingdom, my killing you," she said nonchalantly, as if she were having a casual conversation, and not about to kill an innocent girl.

"Please, spare me," Katara pleaded, her tears blurring her vision. The crowd around her shifted on their feet, uneasy, but unwilling to cross Azula. Azula's eyes narrowed, and she tsked her tongue, lowering her arms. "However, my advisors insist that you're of more use to me alive than dead, so I won't kill you," Azula's eyes glinted maniacally as an evil little smirk crossed her face. Katara's heart sped up, and she felt her palms grow sweaty with fear. "Having said that, there are other ways to send a message," she said, and then she snapped her fingers and Mai and Ty Lee appeared on either side of Katara.

Azula turned around, sitting on her throne. "Beat her," she ordered. Katara's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to protest, but as she leaned in towards Azula, Ty Lee and Mai yanked her back, locking their arms around her head in a choke-hold. Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw the flash of Mai's silver knives, and she knew that what was about to happen would be much, much worse than death. "Wait," Azula halted, holding up her hand. An infinitesimal part of Katara lifted its head, believing Azula's words to be kind, but nonetheless, they weren't.

"Leave her face," she said wickedly, putting her hand down. She locked eyes with Katara again, and Katara could feel the pure malevolence behind them, and it chilled her to her core. "We are in desperate need of pretty faces around here," she finished, and then she waved her hand, and it began. Ty Lee kicked Katara in the small of her back, jerking her forward and onto her hands and knees. Before Katara could register the pain in her back, Mai kicked her in the stomach, forcing her back up into her original position.

Ty Lee reached around and slapped Katara full on the face, effectively putting her back on her back, her cheek red and pulsing. Katara hurt everywhere, and she couldn't even lift her hands to protect herself. Mai and Ty Lee were shadows, moving so quickly Katara couldn't follow. She barely noticed the hushed whispers around the hall as her screams echoed off the walls and the sound of skin hitting skin resonated throughout the grand hall.

"You know what I think," Azula's voice rang over the entire crowd, and despite this, Mai and Ty Lee kept slapping and punching and abusing Katara, ignoring her cries for mercy. "I think that little Katara here is a bit too overdressed. Take it off," she ordered. Ty Lee spun Katara around roughly, took two handfuls of fabric and pulled at the seams. A loud ripping noise curdled the air and suddenly Katara felt cold air on her back, and the dress fell, leaving her only in her undergarments. Bruised and mortified, she crossed her arms in front of her and let out a scream.

Azula settled back into her chair and waved her hand again. "Continue," she said, and just as Mai lifted one of her deadly stilettos, a new voice rang. "What is the meaning of this?" it said, and Katara's eyes widened and she turned around to look for her savior. Footsteps firm and loud, his messy hair covering half of his face, Zuko stared at Katara, eyes wide, and he analyzed her form, before jerking his head up to glare at Azula. "You're beating her?" he asked, his voice venomous. Katara, breathing heavily, and still shaking with fear, turned to look at Azula. All looks of amusement had left her face and she stood, her hands clenched at her sides, fuming.

"You heard what the Avatar and his friends did to the city of Omashu, didn't you? I'm punishing them," she explained. Zuko held out his hand, gesturing towards Katara. "By hurting her? An innocent girl who has been kept prisoner in this palace for almost a year? I doubt she's had any communication with the Avatar or his friends," he said, walking to Katara and kneeling down next to her. He stared at her, and Katara stared back at Azula's brother, the boy who had chased her for two years and finally captured her. His eyes were kind and concerned, and she couldn't help but feel safe with him around. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder, and pulled up her dress, before lifting his head to Azula again.

"You will not hurt her again, or you will face my wrath," he said, his voice loud and final. Azula narrowed her eyes, lifting her hands. "Don't test me, Zuzu," she warned, but Zuko ignored her, helping Katara stand up. Katara pulled her torn dress around her tighter, and flinched against Zuko at Mai and Ty Lee's strangely calm faces. Zuko gave her a small push that she knew to mean to start walking away, and so she did. Azula did not attack, and instead gave a little 'hmph' and sat back down. "Fine, take her away. But she's your responsibility now, Zuko, and I expect nothing more than what a traitor deserves," she said, and then Zuko was next to Katara, and leading her.

In a hushed voice, he whispered into Katara's ear. "Do you want me to help you escape?" he asked. Katara didn't even react, she just shook her head and walked weakly up the stairs. "No, I am a prisoner of Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation, and I deserved to be punished for my friends and for my relationship with the Avatar," she said monotonously, and then she entered her cell block, and the metal doors slid shut, separating her from Zuko.

Zuko stayed where he was, watching Katara's figure fade into darkness as the guards led her to her cell. "Why, Lady Katara," he said to himself. "You might outlive us yet,"


	35. Hello

**Sorry it's been a while guys! I got super busy and lost inspiration and you know how it goes. That being said, this is a little rough, just warning you! Based off the incredible Adele song that I may or may not listen to on repeat for hours on end. :D Enjoy!**

 _Hello_

Her veil swayed in the wind, the paint peeling off of her face, her tears leaving blurry streaks of red. Her bare shoulders prickled with goose bumps and she allowed herself a shiver. She was standing in front of his house, looking through the windows. He seemed happy, snuggling on the couch with Mai, and Katara couldn't really be jealous, she had Aang, and while he was perfect in almost every aspect, she couldn't help but miss the forbidden love associated with Zuko.

She lifted her hand and softly placed it against the window, wishing both for him to see her, and to disappear into the shadows. She doubt he'd recognize her in her Painted Lady getup, however, and so she stared without abandon, not worrying about being discovered. "Hello, it's me," she whispered, another tear rolling down her cheek. "I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet," She didn't understand why she was saying these things, but a part of her knew that the words were necessary for some sense of closure.

Her and Zuko's relationship had ended so abruptly, there was no formal goodbye or breakup, and it left Katara feeling as if she was still attached to Zuko, even when she married Aang. Perhaps this was just her silent, personal way of letting the memory of him fade away into the darkness that surrounded her.

"They say that time supposed to heal you, but I haven't done much healing," she told the window, her breath creating a fog on the glass. Still Zuko and Mai cuddled on, oblivious to Katara's silent meltdown mere feet from them. Katara felt a sudden urge to break the glass, to climb through and scream at Zuko, to tell him everything that she had wanted to for all these years, but she didn't. She stayed where she was, kept the solid barrier between him and her.

"Hello, can you hear me?" she breathed, removing her hat and dropping it onto the ground. It drifted away swiftly, the veil catching the wind and riding it down the street. Katara didn't even turn to watch it go. It was a part of her that she was releasing. The Painted Lady had been the disguise she had used when she had snuck off to meet Zuko all those months ago. It was useless to her now. "I'm in Ba Sing Se dreaming about who we used to be, when we were younger and free," And that was the irony of it all. Katara had never felt more trapped now than she had before the war had ended.

Not that being with Aang made Katara feel trapped, it was just that she lost the fire she felt with Zuko after he left her to be Fire Lord, and nothing Aang could do could make it return. She loved Aang with all of her heart, but she had never been in love with him like she had Zuko. Sure, it was a painful, awkward, and secret relationship, but Zuko didn't judge Katara's morals, and he never tried to be her superior. Without the veil, Katara's identity was clearer, and she knew that she should be more careful, disappear into the shadows more, but she couldn't. She stayed where she was. Zuko and Mai laughed.

"I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet," Katara continued her monologue that only she could hear. The tears became more frequent, washing over each other and turning Katara's face into a river of red. She knew that she looked absolutely grotesque, and her slight reflection in the window panes confirmed this. Katara wouldn't want Zuko to see her like this, in this weakened, broken state. No, she needed to leave. But at the moment she stepped away from the window, Zuko glanced up.

Their eyes only locked for a split-second, but it was enough. Suddenly, Zuko was up and making up an excuse to leave Mai alone. She looked up at him, confused, but being Mai, she merely shrugged and sat back down silently. Zuko left the room. Katara turned away quickly, covering her mouth, and hastily wiping her face free of her tears, but only making the makeup smear worse than before.

"Katara?" she heard him, and his voice was the same. Rough yet silky, concerned yet casual. Katara sucked in a breath, and wished that her cloak didn't have the holes in it. She was quite cold. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here," she said softly, not daring to turn around. She heard Zuko move closer, and then he laid a hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes at his touch, and willed herself not to start crying again. She was stronger than this.

"Why are you here?" Zuko asked quietly, slowly turning Katara around to face him. Katara didn't lift her eyes to meet his, and she felt them burning holes into her forehead. "I don't know, I should go," she stuttered, turning back around and making to run, but Zuko caught her. He grabbed her hand, and Katara let out a choked sound, because she missed holding his hand so much. "Katara, it's okay. You obviously came here for a reason. Did you need to tell me something?" he asked.

Katara didn't let go of his hand, but he dropped it too soon, and she turned back around, breathing deeply. She gathered her strength, and looked up at him. His golden eyes pierced her blue ones, and she was transported back to when she was a teenager and in love, and it made her heart ache, and she almost fell over. Thankfully, however, she caught herself and shook her head to clear her mind. She hesitated a moment, and then looked back at the majestic mansion that was Zuko's new home.

"There's such a difference between us," she remarked. "And a million miles," she added as an afterthought. She looked away from the house and back at Zuko, who was studying her, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows clenched. Katara stared at him, at his scar which was unchanged, at the small little wrinkles that were around his eyes despite him only being in his early twenties. "They're working you too hard," she mumbled, but Zuko didn't hear her.

He waited for her to continue. She didn't really know what to say. And so they stood in silence for an eternity, and then Zuko spoke. "Just say it, Katara. Just say what's on your mind. I remember that look, don't be afraid of my reaction," he assured, his voice low and grave. Katara faltered, her breath catching in her throat. This situation was a mirror image of six years ago, when Katara had chased Zuko after he had left. Only that time, she had kept her mouth shut and let him get away from her. She wasn't going to let that happen this time. He needed to hear what she had to say. And she needed the closure. She was tired of feeling like a heartbreaker.

"Hello from the other side," she said. Zuko tilted his head in confusion and opened his mouth to speak, but Katara cut him off. "Do you not know how many times I've tried to contact you?" she continued, her voice beginning to break. "I was trying to tell you I'm sorry for everything I did, but you never returned my letters," She glared at Zuko now, her eyes shining with fresh tears. Zuko didn't really react, he just stared sadly at Katara, making her feel extremely foolish. She sniffled a bit, and then continued on, her voice less sad and more determined.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, hello from the outside," she said, her eyes dropping to the ground. "At least I can say I've tried now, I've tried to tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart," At this Katara looked back at Zuko, and glared at him, her hands clenched into fists, defeat seeping into her tone. "But it clearly doesn't matter," she spat. "It clearly doesn't tear _you_ apart anymore, so I guess that's all I really needed to say," she said. She knew as the words exited her mouth that they were true, that Zuko had moved on, and with them came a sense of resolution. This was the closure she had been chasing after. She had said all she needed to say, and the rest was out of her control. She wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, and gave a little 'hmph' of finality.

And when she turned around the next time, he didn't reach for her.


	36. Unexpected

**I'm sorry for the gaps between updates, I've just been so busy lately and lacking inspiration, but I promise that I haven't abandoned my stories! Also, a warning, this is a different ship. Don't ask me why, I just felt like writing something different. I hope you can appreciate the angle and enjoy!**

 _Unexpected_

"Don't walk away from me," Aang cried out, stomping his foot on the ground. A large wall of stone rose gracelessly from the ground, effectively trapping Zuko in the small space. Fists clenched, Zuko turned around, his face hot, and his heart racing. He stared at Aang, and the feeling in his stomach only worsened. It was an unnatural, unwelcome feeling, and he wished it would go away, and quit bothering him. But he knew it never would. No matter how much distance he put between himself and the Avatar, he would always wind up back to where he was.

As he looked at Aang, who had grown tall and strong in the five years since the war, he felt his face shining with a nervous sweat. The way Aang looked at him with such concern almost made Zuko believe that Aang reciprocated the unnatural feelings. But Zuko knew how in love Aang was with Katara, and so he shoved the thoughts away, like he always did. Still, his throat was dry with nerves. He fought with all his strength against the urge to run up and shove Aang against a wall and tell him how he really felt about him.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked through gritted teeth, a bit of smoke escaping in little tendrils. Aang held his staff out next to him, accentuating his arm muscles, taunting Zuko. "Why do you always leave?" Aang asked, his voice worried. It made Zuko want to laugh and cry all at the same time. Instead, he walked towards Aang, his eyes fierce and stinging. His heart would not stop racing.

"Are you really that oblivious?" he asked, the words falling out of his mouth before he could stop them. He had never ever revealed in the slightest his feelings toward Aang, and he didn't know why he was now. Perhaps it was because he had run out of room inside of him, and now his mind was overflowing with the thoughts, and he couldn't hide this part of himself anymore. Not that he was ignorant to suspicion, because he wasn't. He knew for a fact that the earthbender was aware of his sinful tendencies, but she kept it to herself, for Zuko's sanity.

Aang tilted his head, his tattoos shining in the moonlight. His robes fell the to the wayside a bit, and his upper torso was revealed, causing Zuko's eyes to drop unconsciously. "What are you talking about?" Aang asked harshly. Zuko quickly looked away from Aang, training his eyes on the ground. He couldn't stand to look into Aang's eyes right now, not when his emotions were running so high. "Nothing, it's not important," he murmured, turning around and walking away. Before he could take two steps, he felt Aang grab his hand. It was an unusual gesture, for Aang typically didn't initiate any sort of intimate physical contact between anyone except for Katara. But he held Zuko's hand gently, his fingers wrapped around Zuko's palm, pulling him back to him. Zuko's breath caught in his throat, and he felt his resolve disintegrate right then and there. He knew exactly what was going to happen if he allowed Aang to turn him around.

He should've dropped Aang's hand, forced him to, firebended, something, but he didn't. He relished in the pressure and softness of Aang's hand, and he let him turn him around. The moment he did, he locked eyes with Aang, and he felt a rush of energy unlike any he had ever felt before. In that moment he lost all inhibition, and he wasted not a second. He twisted his hand in Aang's so that their fingers were intertwined, and then he pulled him roughly forward, lifting his left hand to Aang's face and leaning in quickly.

He pressed his lips to Aang's, and the ball in his stomach unraveled and his heart sped up and relief coursed through him. He was finally satiating the desire within him, and it felt not necessarily wonderful, but more relaxing. The beast inside of him was tamed. His eyes slid shut, and he kissed Aang more. He expected to be shoved away at any moment, but to his utmost surprise, he heard Aang's staff clatter to the ground and Aang opened up his mouth, allowing Zuko entrance. Aang's free hand wrapped around Zuko's waist and the two stumbled up against the mountainside, where Zuko's left hand trailed down Aang's chest, and Aang tangled his fingers in Zuko's messy hair.

It was heated, blissful, and passionate. All the unspoken words and the tension was released, and the two boys were finally able to express their feelings without worry. Zuko thought it would never end, and he was just picking up the pace when it happened. All of a sudden, a huge gust of wind caused Zuko to fly backwards and land rudely on his back, his hands scraped and his eyes wide with confusion.

Startled, Zuko looked at Aang, who was breathing heavily and wiping his mouth, an expression of pure shame on his face. "What was that for?" he called, wiping his mouth too. It didn't help. The taste of Aang would exist in his mouth forever from now on. Aang shakily picked up his staff and smooth his robes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he said softly. Zuko stood back up, brushing himself off. Where a minute ago he was full of relief, now the knot was back in his stomach and he began to question his interpretations of Aang. Strange enough, anger coursed through him.

"What're you talking about? You shouldn't have kissed me? Or you shouldn't have let me kiss you? Sages, you're so confusing sometimes," Zuko said, his face turning red with anger. Aang looked at him as if he were an injured child. "I can't be with you, not like that, Zuko, it's just too unnatural," he said. Zuko looked at him, amazed. Aang wasn't a person who bowed down to the traditions or rules, why was he acting like this?

"Is it because of Katara? Because I'll talk to her if need be," Zuko pleaded, lifting his hand to reach for Aang. Aang shook his head, turning away from Zuko, the ultimate form of rejection. "I think we just need to bury this moment, and move on. I don't want this to ruin our friendship," he said. Zuko sputtered for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Aang had played with Zuko's feelings, and that wasn't okay with Zuko.

"How can you possibly be alright suppressing who you truly are?" he asked coldly. Aang stiffened a bit before answering. "I don't know who I am yet, Zuko. I love Katara, but I'll admit that I feel something with you too. I just need time to figure it all out," he responded. Zuko's muscles clenched, his jaw taut.

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to stand back and wait until you make your decision on who you choose?" he asked, venom seeping into his voice. Aang turned back around at that, his eyes glistening. "Of course not," he said, his voice breaking. Zuko faltered a bit. "I just don't know what to feel right now. Of course I don't want you to leave, there will always be a part of me that feels something stronger than friendship with you, regardless of who I choose. I don't want it to be a choice, I want it to be something I just know, intuitively, but that's going to take time. And I don't want you to be halfway across the world when I figure it out, okay?"

Zuko hesitated. He understood completely where Aang was coming from, the inner turmoil. Zuko was familiar with that, he had fought it his entire life, from when he was a little boy and he laid eyes on the first boy he ever had a crush on. He had denied himself happiness for nineteen years, and he knew deep down that he would wait forever for Aang, no matter how painful it was for him. And so, in the dimming light, Zuko nodded. Aang smiled gently, and then opened his glider, glancing over his shoulder once more at Zuko before taking off into the night sky.

And when the two returned to that spot nearly a year later, and shared another kiss, a gentler kiss, Zuko didn't care that he had to wait for him, didn't care that he had to deal with the awkward glances and the stolen meetings, because it had made it easier for Aang to figure out what he wanted. And though the road would be full of obstacles and judgements and regret, Zuko wasn't afraid, because he finally found the one person who understood him in this world, and he didn't have to worry anymore.

It was an unexpected love, and one that would last for the rest of their lives and into the next.


End file.
